Warning: There's some intoxication and implied drug use in this chapter.

Jenny was absolutely and utterly bored as the woman talked about what would happen at the day care. Frankly she could care less about their eating schedules and play time routines. But she sat through the whole thing anyway. So halfway through the speech she was almost glad her phone rang. The other parents stared at her and she could feel her face heating up but was thankful to be excused anyway. Jenny could feel Tracy's eyes boring into her skull angrily but she ignored it as she got up and answered. "Shepard." She said as she walked out of the room. Jenny wondered what Tracy did for a living and guiltily wondered if it even came close to the authority she had. It would be satisfying to see the look on Tracy's face when she said she was the Director of an armed federal agency. Then again Tracy would probably throw some nasty comment in her face about what a bad mother she must be. Jenny realized how horrible that thought was. She was better than this. For goodness sake she's only known Tracy for five minutes. She was turning into one of those judgmental, snooty parents. The voice of the SecNav snapped her out of her thoughts as she closed the daycare door behind her.

"Director where are you? We had a meeting this morning to discuss the terrorist threat!" He exclaimed and Jenny mentally cursed herself. How could she forget about that?

"I'm sorry Mr. Secretary I got caught up." She said running a hand down her face and ignoring the stare from Taylor the receptionist.

"With what? What could have possibly gotten you tied up so much to miss this meeting of national security?" He exclaimed clearly about to blow a gasket. Jenny needed to tell him now. It was inevitable she knew but now that she was facing the reality in front of her she didn't want to go through with it. But she had too. She cleared her throat and spoke hesitantly.

"Do you remember last summer when I was missing meetings?" She asked rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yes I do remember. You were sorting things out with a lawyer and punched him in the jaw." He said biting back laughter. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes then slowly opened them again. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Her and the lawyer the DA's office had assigned for her daughters case were talking about her capabilities as a parent. The lawyer whose name she couldn't recall said something that made her snap though. She had already gone through a string of horrible lawyers and this was the sixth that they hadn't come to a conclusion with yet. Jenny had ended it before they could though by effectively breaking his jaw and dislocating two of her own fingers.

"Miss Shepard we need to make a decision here. Frankly I believe that you would not make a suitable parent therefore we will have to discuss visiting times for Laura." He said not masking the exhaustion in his tone and demeanor.

"It's Lauren. My daughter's name is Lauren." Jenny corrected bitterly. He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever lady. As I was saying we need to sort some things out. I was thinking she could come visit you in the summer for two weeks." He said and Jenny finally noticed his blood shot eyes and the way his hands lay droopily at his sides. He wasn't exhausted from a long night of working, he was exhausted because he was out getting hammered and stoned. He had no regard for her child or her case. Jenny clenched her jaw painfully.

"Excuse me but do you even care about my daughter?" She asked bluntly and he was taken by surprise though his droopy eyes and blank expression didn't show much emotion.

"Well it is my job to…"

"Do you know that it is highly unprofessional to come into work with a hangover and it is also highly unprofessional to come into work stoned?" She exclaimed angrily yet calmly interrupting him.

"Ma'am I don't know what you're talking about. You and your daughter Emily are my highest priority right now." He said tiredly and she noted the smell of marijuana on his clothes and alcohol on his breath. That was the final straw for Jenny. She clenched her fist, stood up and in one swift motion her fist connected with his jaw with a satisfying crack.

"It's LAUREN!" She yelled before two guards came rushing in a restrained her while blood was flowing freely from the lawyer's mouth all over his precious documents.

"It was fun when I had to come and get you." He said sarcastically. "The SECRETARY OF THE NAVY had to come and get the DIRECTOR OF NCIS out of a holding cell in the basement of a law firm! That little stunt could have ended your career and still to this day you never told me why you punched him. You are just lucky he chose not to press charges!" SecNav explained harshly and she could tell if she was there he'd be pointing a stubby finger at her accusingly. But she deserved every word and she knew it.

"That's because he was too stoned to even think straight! Those pain meds they gave him were probably just added to his euphoria! I bet he would have let me break his nose if it meant getting his hands on more of that morphine!" She exclaimed but then silenced herself knowing she had stepped out of line. Surprisingly though he just laughed heartily.

"Shepard let's get down to the point of this conversation." He laughed and Jenny sighed.

"Yes sir. Well I was seeing the lawyer so I could have custody of my daughter." She said and waited for the bombarding questions.

"How come I didn't know you had a daughter before?" He asked suspiciously.

"I was trying to keep her a secret, for security purposes and also because I didn't want people to know unless I was able to keep her for sure."

"So what does this have to do with you being late for work today?" He asked.

"I'm dropping her off a daycare. And God can those women talk and talk." She said exasperated. He laughed.

"I have children of my own Director I know how it is."

"She's staying for the summer and I had to get her here. It's the first day and I figured you wouldn't approve of her at work all the time." She said.

"That's good thinking but you should have warned me. I want you back in the office before 0900." He said sternly and was about to hang up when she stopped him.

"Hold on sir. Can we keep her under wraps for now? I mean until I can officially keep her I don't want people knowing." She said hesitantly.

"Of course Director." He said and hung up. She sighed and slumped against a wall. Explaining her unknown child to people was easier than she thought but it was still draining. With a deep breath she walked back into the room where unsurprisingly the meeting was still taking place. After finding her seat again she started to listen to the woman talking up front.

"Daycare ends at six pm and all parents should be here at the lasted at that time. You can take your child out and bring them back later if you wish though you will need to sign some forms." She said and the meeting ended. Thanking God silently she stood up with her daughter by her side. She realized the other parents were saying goodbye to their children so she knelt down and did the same.

"Okay Lauren. I have to go to work now but I'll be back later to get you." She said looking into her scared eyes.

"Promise?" Lauren asked seriously.

"Promise." Jenny said and hugged Lauren goodbye. "Bye sweetheart I love you." She said standing up.

"Bye mommy I love you too." She said and left to go play with her friends seemingly happy. Jenny felt a little better leaving her knowing that Lauren was comfortable here. A few moments later all the parents were leaving and Claire came up to her and ushered her out.

"I know it's hard the first time but it gets easier. These people are very trustworthy." She said and Jenny nodded willing herself to believe that.

Jenny arrived at work at 0840 that morning and rushed up to her office disregarding the stares from the team. No child with her today. She barged into her office. "Director the Secretary of the Navy is waiting for you." She said and Jenny just nodded in response before entering. He turned to look at her, a glass of scotch in his hand.

"Hello Director. You have a fine liquor supply in here." He said chuckling. They talked about the terrorist threat for an hour before he announced he had to leave for a meeting. By that time it was 0950 and time for a coffee break. She went downstairs and past the bull pen where Gibbs saw her and announced he was going for coffee. They walked into the elevator together and rode it down to the lobby where they walked off and went to their favorite coffee shop down the road. For once in what was too long they shared a nice conversation but Jenny couldn't shake the feeling that he was just doing this to get something out of her. Something which had a name and that was Lauren. Ever since he had heard the rumors of her he had been grilling her on it but she wasn't about to spill her guts today. Thankfully he didn't ask about her and they just had a nice friendly conversation. It was nice and both Jenny and Gibbs relished every moment of it.

The day went by rather smoothly but through midday she had a growing feeling in the pit of her stomach that wasn't good. She didn't know exactly what to call it, motherly intuition maybe but she tried to put it off. Tried to put in the far recesses of her mind because she knew her daughter was fine. Perfectly and absolutely fine.

She was sitting at her desk doing nothing in particular. It was exactly 1522 when she got the call. She answered it expecting some politician to invite her to another party on the hill. "Shepard." She answered curtly as the Director but reacted like the mother.

"Miss Shepard, it's your daughter." The peppy secretary she recognized at Taylor said with a worried tone. Jenny seriously thought her heart stopped beating in her chest when she heard that sentence.