Jen sat at the kitchen table. This house felt unfamiliar, plain and drab, no memories haunting the hallways, no pictures Alex had drawn stuck to the fridge. She sighed and clutched at the glass of bourbon in front of her. Luc had always laughed at her when she drank it. He never understood how she could. She sighed again, Luc, sometimes she missed him so much she couldn't think. Thoughts of him entered her mind everyday, when she least wanted them to, like last night, when Gibbs had pulled her to him. She had wanted him to kiss her, but part of her mind was screaming at her, your married. She wasn't married, her husband had died, left her alone with a tiny baby who hadn't get to know his father. She sometimes felt so angry at him. He wasn't even meant to be at the World trade Centre that day. He had forgotten some papers and had to get them. One mistake and he had been untimely ripped from her life. She let the tears freely fall, not caring anymore. She cried for Alex, growing up without a father, she cried for Rachel, her poor friend, she cried for Gibbs and his family.

Gibbs was infecting her mind, every thought in her mind was of Gibbs, Luc or Alex. There was no room for anything else. How had he become so important to her life in the space of a day? She wished he would walk through the door right now and envelop her in those arms of his.

"Are you alright Miss Sheppard?" The new Security team had arrived and Agent DiNozzo had come back to oversee them. She brushed the tears from her face and turned to face the younger man. His good looking face was full of worry.

"I'm fine thank you, Agent DiNozzo. Its just not everyday that you get shot at." She tried to brush it off. DiNozzo sat down at the table with her. She pushed the bottle over to him. He shook his head.

"No thanks, can't stand the stuff. The only other person I know who drinks it is Gibbs." He smiled knowingly and she wondered how much he had seen.

"Getting shot as is scary. I don't judge your reaction." He said, standing up and grabbing a cup of coffee from the filter machine on the counter.

"How do you do it everyday?" She asked. He thought for a minute.

"Well, its part of the job...and I love the job. Plus..." He laughed slightly, "When you work with Gibbs, you get shot at a lot. You get used to it." Jen laughed with him, grateful that the young man was taking her mind of things...if only he would stop mentioning Gibbs.

"He gets shot at a lot?" She asked. Tony looked around, checking the doorways for any eavesdroppers.

"He can be quite difficult." He whispered conspiratorially. Jen laughed again.

"That he can."


"What were you doing there?" Gibbs asked the dark hair man Ziva had managed to incapacitate. Ziva stood in the corner of interrogation, her arms crossed, one leg bent, resting against the wall. She look dangerous. He glanced nervously at her and she smiled slowly. She had managed to find out his name, Thomas Bennett. He squirmed under Ziva's gaze.

"Listen man...I don't know anything." Gibbs slammed his fist against the table, ignoring the shooting pain which flashed up his arm and across his chest.

"Don't lie to me...you were at the house of a woman under Protective Custody. You shot at her, you shot me instead. Tell me who hired you." Gibbs leant forward, Thomas leant back.

"I don't know his name." He managed to say. His Adam's Apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed. He obviously wasn't cut out for interrogation.

"Oh that's original...Officer David, see if you can get a name out of this guy, I'm going for coffee." Gibbs stood and walked to the door, he heard Thomas sigh behind him.

"Ok wait..." Gibbs smiled before he turned, the smile was replaced with a questioning look.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I never get to have any fun." Ziva grumbled from the corner. Thomas's eyes darted towards her before he looked back at Gibbs.

"I don't know his name, but the guy with me last night does." He said, the obvious relief at not being hurt by the crazy woman standing in the corner clear on his face.

"That's helpful...who is he?" Gibbs asked, sitting back down.

"Andrew Parker. He contacted me, said he needed to get rid of a few loose ends for a friend of his."

"So you kill Commander Anderson. But that isn't enough is it?" Gibbs opened a folder and threw a picture of Rachel in front of Thomas. He grimaced slightly and pushed the photo back.

"She talked to someone. I don't know what about, I swear." He said. Gibbs took out another photo, another one of Rachel's hands.

"You felt she needed torture?" He asked, Thomas shut his eyes briefly.

"I didn't do that." He said. "I kept watch outside."

"So whilst she was screaming for help, you just stood there?" Gibbs asked, his voice was getting more dangerous by the second.

"I...um..." Thomas stammered. Gibbs took the photos back. He pushed a piece of paper and a pen in from of him.

"Write down Andrew Parker's address." He said. Thomas took the pen and sighed before scribbling down on the paper. Gibbs stood.

"Office David...watch him." Gibbs almost laughed at the look in Ziva's eyes and the pleading look Thomas shot him before Gibbs closed the door.


"So you think there is something going on between them?" Abby asked McGee. They were sifting through the files on Rachel's computer, desperately trying to find some hard evidence to tie Jen's Boss to the assassination attempt. McGee shrugged and Abby punched his arm.

"Come on McGee...he's gorgeous, she's gorgeous...it makes sense...indulge me." She pleaded. McGee shook his head.

"Abby, you know the minute I start talking about it, Gibbs will walk round the corner."

"Start talking about what McGee?" Gibbs asked from the doorway of Abby's lab. Abby squealed and jumped up, throwing herself at Gibbs. He grunted as he caught her.

"Oh Gibbs...I'm so sorry...are you ok?" She asked, stepping back.

"I'm fine Abs. As soon as you start talking about what McGee?" He asked again. McGee shot Abby a pleading look, Abby grinned.

"Uh..Gibbs, we don't have anything yet." She said, changing the subject. McGee swallowed nervously. Gibbs was just to damn sneaky for hos own good sometimes.

"Why not?" He asked. Abby sighed.

"Its not like she kept all the evidence is a file labelled "President's Assassination Plot Evidence", Gibbs. It takes time to look through a PC."

"Abby..." Gibbs warned. He was itching to get this case closed, as much for his sanity as for the sake of Jen's protection. He was tired, in pain, and wanted desperately to get back to Jen.

"Gibbs..." Abby mirrored his stance and tone of voice. Gibbs smiled.

"Please?" He asked. McGee's mouth dropped open in shock and Abby grinned back.

"As soon as I know, you will know, oh great one." She said, sitting back down at the computer. Gibbs nodded and walked out. Just as McGee was about to heave a sigh of relief, Gibbs stuck his head back round the doorway, a sly grin gracing his features.

"My private life is just that McGee...private." Abby snorted.


Pulling sickies are great for getting fics written!!

V!

xox