Hey guys! Look another chapter! This is definitely the longest one. Twice as long as the others. I hope you all like this. This chapter had the inspiration from "Model Behavior". I hope that it runs together really well. My mind furiously wrote this and wouldn't stop. I liked it and I hope that you all do as well. Just leave me a message saying what you thought. Sorry if anything seems out of character or a little off. This is how I saw things going in my head.
Disclaimer: I don't own it. Jenny would still be alive, Kate would probably still be dead (sorry), McGee and Abby would definitely be together, there would be more Fornell and Mike Franks time.
Thanks to all who are reading, alerting, and reviewing! All make me immensely happy! =D
Now is the time for you to READ, ENJOY, and REVIEW!
Ceremonies and Endings
The next morning the gang is all at work bright and early to avoid pissing Gibbs off, even Tony who would prefer still being in bed. Gibbs has left the office saying something about coffee. Ziva is at her desk on the phone with an informant while McGee is doing his thing with the computer. Tony is holding his head as if the paper work is going to kill him, when Abby suddenly bounds in to the squadroom.
"So Timmy, do you think that Gibbs will show up to the awards ceremony today?" Abby cheerily asks while propping herself in front of McGee's desk.
"I believe he might just show up today, I just have this feeling that he will be there," McGee says while nodding his head as if he is trying to reaffirm this possibility to himself.
Abby starts to chuckle and then smiles. "McGee, you seem very firm in that, are you willing to make a little wager with me?"
"What kind of wager are we talking?"
Abby bobs her head back and forth in a manner of thinking. Finally she says, "How about loser makes the other dinner? I won't swindle you out of money this time."
McGee just stares at her while trying to decide. He finally nods his head, "Alright I can agree to that. One condition on the dinner, it can't be something instant straight from a box. It has to be a fully cooked meal by scratch. Deal?"
Abby nods her head and sticks her hand out. "That is a deal I can take since you will be the one making me dinner."
Tony is eavesdropping on McGee and Abby's conversation and turns to Ziva. "How about we make a wager too, Zee-vah? I mean, what's the harm in having a little bet going on?"
Ziva looks at Tony as if he might be losing his mind. While she mulls it over, she starts to think it might be fun. "Alright, Tony, what would the ante be?"
"I'm saying loser pays for drinks at McMurphy's for a month. That sound like decent terms for you?" Tony says while raising an eyebrow at Ziva.
Ziva stops to ponder this for a few moments. She gets the look of revelation on her face and declares, "I have a better idea. Loser pays for one night of drinks at McMurphy's and dinner at Palena." The look on her face is one of pure challenge.
"That sounds agreeable. Be prepared to pay for dinner. One night of drinks and dinner says that Gibbs doesn't show to the ceremony today. Deal?" Tony sticks his arm out to shake hands and affirm the bet.
"Deal."
"I can't wait for this dinner at Palena, especially since I won't be paying."
"Is that a fact DiNozzo? While you were contemplating dinner, did you also solve this case?" Gibbs says and smacks Tony on the back of the head.
"Actually Boss, we are still working on getting some of the knots worked out of it," Tony sputters out at the same time he is rubbing the back of his head.
"Well you only have until 1300 today to have me something I can work with. Abby, shouldn't you be down in the lab trying to find me some information on the evidence?" Gibbs snaps at Abby who is still standing propped on McGee's desk.
"Yes, El Jefe. I'll get right back to my lab to find you some proof," Abby says while snapping a short salute and sauntering back to her lab.
At 1300 everyone is gathered for the ceremony. Vance has given out most of the awards. The members of the MCRT are looking around to find Gibbs whom they have yet to see. Their looking has led them to overlook him standing in the corner furthest from the door after he has snuck in late.
Abby nudges McGee, "Looks like you are going to be making me dinner. When do you think would be best?"
"I haven't lost yet. He could still show up," McGee says in what Abby believes is complete naiveness.
Meanwhile, a similar conversation is happening between Ziva and Tony. "Tony, there is still a possibility that he will show down."
"Show up," Tony corrects and then proceeds when she gives him a stare of confusion. "Gibbs could still show up, not down. That's sweet that you believe he will still show up."
"The ceremony is not over yet," Ziva growls from between her teeth.
"Ziva, they don't have many more awards to give out. I think that Gibbs might actually be the only one left. I might want to go ahead and get my speech out that I've prepared," Tony finishes while fishing for the paper in his pocket.
At this point, Vance looks up and announces, "Now this last award, I will not be giving. There is someone here who has requested to be given that privilege, seeing as to how they were always denied before."
Now Vance motions towards someone standing beside the door. Everybody turns around save for Gibbs who is still standing uninterested in the corner knowing the award is his. The rest of the team can hardly contain their shock as well as half of the room, but some do not realize who is walking to the podium.
"I've waited quite a few years to be allowed to give this particular person an award. I really want to know what your trick was, Director." Upon the speaker beginning, Gibbs eyes shoot up to the front of the room. "I would like to present Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs with the Meritorious Civilian Service medal. Would you come up here, Special Agent Gibbs?"
Slowly he begins to walk to the front of the room and accept his award as the room explodes into applause. Over the clapping he whispers in her ear, "You know this is the first one of these that I've ever accepted, Jen?"
Vance steps back up to center stage, "Thank you all for taking time out of your day to come here. Now let's get back to protecting our country." After Vance finishes with his words of dismissing, the room emptied except for the MCRT.
Abby is the first to be able to move. Gibbs is lost staring at Jenny when Abby comes rushing up and practically tackles Jenny to get her into a bone-crushing hug. "I really want to know how it's possible that you are standing here but I'm afraid that if I ask then this will all be a dream and that you will still be dead speaking of which why did we think you were dead and where have you been hiding all this time because you've had all of us upset especially Bossman though he tried not to show it but we could tell and then he got hurt a few months ago and fell into a coma and woke up saying that you were still alive and made us start looking for you."
"Abs, breathe. Jethro, I think we need to have a talk, privately," Jenny says while continuing to look at Gibbs. "Leon, could we steal your office for a little while?"
"Anything you need Jenny. I've got some meetings that I need to go and take care of first, and I will call to let you know when I'm headed back."
"Thank you Leon," Jenny says while grabbing Gibbs hands and pulling him towards the door. "Guys, don't worry, I'll be back. There are just some things that need to be sorted out first."
Now Gibbs snaps back into his boss form and issues orders, "Go back to your desks and finish solving the case." At that Jenny and he leave the room and head to the director's office.
"It's good to see you alive and well, Jen. I was starting to think I had imagined you still being alive," Gibbs says while pulling Jenny towards him all during the process of shutting and locking the office door.
"Did we really have a meeting through comas? That just seems too absurd to be true, forget I said anything," Jenny says while pulling away and heading towards the couch.
Gibbs follows behind to join her on the couch. "Well if you were just having a dream, then I was too. I vividly remember seeing you while I was unconscious."
Jenny is taken aback by his words. "So I wasn't just dreaming when I saw and talked to you? You were really there too?"
"Jen, Abby wasn't lying when she said that I woke up from my coma like a man on fire. I knew you were out there somewhere and I planned on finding you. Where have you been since then because we couldn't find any trace of you?" he says while reaching out to grab her hand and running his hand along her cheek in a manner of reaffirming she is there.
"The minute we split ways I woke up in a private nursing home in California. Sure enough it had been two years since I had been awake. Right then, I knew I had to get back to D.C. and to you," she replies while squeezing his hand.
"We looked for you every free minute we had. We searched every medical facility in the United States and none of them had someone matching your name. How could we possibly have overlooked you?"
Jenny starts to laughs. "I thought you would think to look beyond my actual name, Jethro. They had me under the name Jacqueline Rousseau so if I woke up, and didn't realize the time they could make me believe I was still in Europe ten years ago until someone could get to me. Luckily I woke up remembering a lot."
"So I should have been looking for your overseas op alias?" Jenny just nods at him. He shakes his head. "That never even occurred to me."
"Don't you dare start beating yourself up over that. I'm sure you would have thought of it sooner or later. It's just been three months, and in that time I've got to get back on my feet and arrange my grand return," she says while running her hands over his face in a calming fashion.
At her initial touch his eyes shoot to hers, and he rubbed his face against her hand. Then a thought occurs to Gibbs. "How long have you had your grand entrance planned?"
Jenny stops and glances towards the ceiling as she is thinking. Finally she answers, "Leon and I had began planning it about a month ago."
Gibbs' look of complete shock is comical to her. "Wait how long has Leon known that you were still out there? Did he find out after you woke up or before?"
"I am told that he has known from the very beginning. He was the one to start the emergency plan for my survival." Jenny pats Gibbs' cheek. "It's okay. I've been well cared for and am here all in one piece."
The look on Gibbs' face is one that can only be described as supreme annoyance. "You mean for the past two years while my team has been grieving, he has known it was all in vain? Vance knew you were still out there and he let Tony drive himself crazy with guilt over not protecting you enough and being the reason that you weren't coming back home? He let me believe I-"
At this his words are cut off by Jenny sealing his mouth with her own. When she feels that the kiss has enough time to interrupt his tirade she pulls away. She rests her forehead against his. "Jethro, if Leon hadn't done this, then we wouldn't be here now, and any chance of us every getting together would be completely shot to hell. Just be thankful I'm here now and let this go. Please?"
"Okay, I'll let it go just because I'm so glad that my coma wasn't all just a dream. You are real and here," he finishes while pulling her tighter into his arms.
"We should probably get back to your team soon or they might go crazy," Jenny says while getting up off the couch yanking Gibbs up with her.
Gibbs chuckles. "Might go crazy? You've been gone too long. They were always crazy." At his admission of his team aloud, they both laugh and Jenny tucks his arm making him move towards the door.
As Jenny is pulling the door opens she stops and turns to him, "Do we know if Ducky knew if I was alive? Did he perform the 'autopsy'?" Her face shows complete confusion and possible hurt.
"No. He didn't know. There had been a mix-up in autopsy. The bag that we all thought was yours wasn't. Ducky said that he went through all the bags and never found yours. When he went to Vance, Vance just told him that it would hit too close to home so your autopsy was to be taken care of out of house." At finishing his explanation, he pulls her back closer to his side and kisses the temple of her head and runs his hand through her long hair.
They arrive back downstairs to see the team including Abby, Palmer, and Ducky just sitting around waiting. When Abby sees them she jumps up and rushes towards them. She nearly tackles Jenny again in trying to hug her. "Abby didn't we already get through the tackle hugs? I can barely breathe," Jenny struggles to say for Abby's arms are tight around her neck.
Abby slightly leans back for realizing that Jenny is gasping for breathe. "No, the tackle hugs aren't over with yet. We thought you were dead! I can't just act like nothing has happened. The tackle hugs might never end!"
Jenny rolls her eyes at this announcement before answering the outburst. "Well that might make work a little hard then. I'm going to need my room to breathe, and you won't be allowed into MTAC when I have classified ops." Everyone is staring wide-mouthed not completely grasping what has just been saying.
"Jenny are you saying that you are going to be director again?" Ziva asks breaking the shock induced silence.
Jenny nods her head, "That is precisely what I am saying Ziva. I've spent the past month trying to catch up on the comings and goings so that I could make the smoothest transition possible back into the director's chair."
No one is more shocked than Gibbs who is floundering to find words. Flabbergasted by the fact she makes the announcement in front of the team instead of to him in private first. Tony cuts in before any words can leave Gibbs' mouth, "So no more of the toothpick? You will be back, and the yelling matches with the door slamming?"
The group erupt into laughter at Tony's thought process. Jenny answers him when the laughter dies down a little. "Vance will be moving back to the role of Assistant Director and will be around occasionally. He's going to be here for the next little while until I am completely settled. And hopefully there won't be more yelling matches or door slamming. I'm hoping Jethro has grown up more than that in the past two years," she finishes up while shooting a glare at Gibbs.
"Tough chance of that happening," Tony mutters before thinking. The next thing he realizes there is a hand connecting with the back of his head. "Thanks, Boss."
"Well Jennifer, it is truly a joy to have you back, if you don't mind my asking, where have you been all this time?" Ducky inquires.
Jenny stops, takes a breath, and thinks of her absence. She finally begins to speak, "I have been in California. I don't know where I was originally at, but I know that three months ago I woke up from a two year coma in a private nursing home."
Now is McGee's turn to ask a question. "How could we possibly have not found you? I searched and never turned up anything. No hospitals or medical facilities had record of having you in residence."
Jenny looks at McGee with a look of concern for his distress. "Tim, calm down. You wouldn't have been able to find me by looking up my name. I was added under an alias, which Jethro should have thought of. Not saying he is to blame because no one is. I'm actually kind of glad that none of you saw me while I was in my coma or after I first woke up." All those around her begin to protest at the same time. She simply puts her hand up to quiet them down and continues, "If you had seen me in a coma, you would have felt guilty about not being the one in the bed instead. When I was getting back to the point of operating fully, I was a total mess. I prefer you guys never see me that vulnerable and weak."
Gibbs leans into her and whispers a little menacingly in her ear and is overheard by the others, "I would not have cared. Knowing you were still alive and breathing would have been enough for me." This is finished off with a chorus of "Me toos" and "Yeahs".
Jenny cannot stop the tears in her eyes from starting to run down her cheeks. She pulls away from Gibbs so she can pull the others into a group hug. They all just stand there for a little while basking in the knowledge that they are all together again. Finally Gibbs decides to crash the party, "Guys, obviously we aren't going to get anymore work done, so let's pack it up for the evening."
Abby is the first to protest this, "But Gibbs we just got Jenny back! We can't just go home now! What if something happens?"
"Abs, everybody needs to go home and get some sleep. Jenny will be here tomorrow and nothing is going to happen to her tonight. I'll take her home with me and keep her safe," Gibbs tells her.
"Okay, don't let her disappear again. We can't live through that again," Abby pouts in her best little girl voice.
After hugs are reissued, and the team leaves, Jen turns on Gibbs. "I'm going home with you am I? When did we decide on that?"
Gibbs just chuckles and pulls her in closer to him. "Well consider Mike and I burned down your brownstone, I thought it was only common courtesy to offer you my house."
Jenny laughs at his logic, but replies, "Well I like to see that chivalry isn't dead. Come on and take me home already, marine."
Now you have reached the end of the chapter, I have a question that I would love to have answered. Do I write an epilogue and tell you what happens in my head, or do I leave it here for you to decide what you think happens next? I've read books before that is ruined by the epilogue, and I don't want that to happen here. Please let me know what you think.
In case this is the last, thank you all for your support, it's helped me more than you will ever know. This past year has been hard, but thanks to you guys, I've been better than I expected.
Oh and happy early St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear green! haha.
Review time.
