Kikilia14, alix33, Prettycrazy, left my heart in Paris, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, JET1967, Ncisluver, MariskaBaby92, *Hearts* You're awesome! Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you're still into the story :)

I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

~ 5 Months Later ~

Jenny stood on the sidelines of Kelly's soccer game, shielding her eyes from the blinding sunlight. She cheered when Kelly made a well-aimed goal.

"Good job Kel!" she yelled, fanning herself with the empty popcorn bag she had folded in half.

Kelly looked up and grinned at the sound of her voice. She waved before getting back into position.

"Hey, Jenny!"

Jenny looked around at the sound of her name. Her smile faded as her eyes fell on Maddie's mother. Ellen had been the one to call her name and she wore a grave look on her face.

"What?" Jenny asked.

Ellen jerked her head backwards in the direction of two uniformed Marines. There was only reason they would be there and the thought of it made her blood run cold. She felt like screaming or throwing up, but forced her voice to remain level when she addressed the Marines.

"Thanks," she sighed. "Officers," she greeted the men.

She turned to Karen, who was the only one within earshot and asked, "Could you give us a minute?"

Ellen nodded and obliged, moving back with the other mothers.

"You're Jennifer Elizabeth Shepard?" the taller of the two asked.

"I am," Jenny confirmed.

"There was an explosion," he said, and Jenny was unable to stifle a gasp. "He isn't expected to make it through the night."

Jenny bit the inside of her cheek so hard she thought she would draw blood in an attempt to keep herself from crying.

"But he has a chance, right?" she demanded. "He could still pull through?"

"I wouldn't want to give you any misguided hope ma'am," the younger Marine replied regretfully.

Jenny pressed her lips together and simply nodded as tears sprung to her eyes. She did not speak for fear of losing it altogether.

"I really am sorry," the younger Marine answered sympathetically. They saluted her and then turned and left, leaving Jenny standing there looking as if she had lost a piece of her soul.

Meanwhile, Kelly watched Jenny walk off with the two officers. The distraction temporarily hindered her senses and she was tripped up by a girl on the other team. She fell to the ground and screamed as pain seared through her arm.

Ellen rushed toward the distressed little girl.

"Kelly, honey are you okay?" she asked.

"It hurts," Kelly whimpered.

"I know sweetheart," she said, before turning to one of the other mothers and said, "Go find Jenny."

"It could be broken," Ellen murmured, grimacing at the odd angle of Kelly's arm.

Jenny stood at the sink in the women's restroom. She splashed water on her face and forced herself to stop crying. She dried her face with a paper towel and moved to open the door, but stopped when tears sprung to her eyes once more. She fell back against the wall and brought a hand to her lips. Her stomach churned and at the thought of Kelly and she had to rush to the nearest stall to empty the contents of her stomach. How was she going to tell Kelly? The girl adored her father. He was Superman to her. He had no faults and nothing would ever happen to him in her mind. Jenny hated that she would be the one to shatter the young child's fantasy.

She was rinsing her mouth when Karen, one of the mothers ran through the doorway.

"It's Kelly," she said breathlessly. "She had an accident with another girl on the field."

"What happened?" Jenny demanded, already making her way toward the door.

"One of the girls tripped her on the field and she fell and hurt her arm. It was an accident, but they think it might be broken," Karen said.

Jenny took off at a run, knowing they could take Kelly to the hospital without her if it truly was broken.

She picked up speed as she made it to the field and saw Kelly on the ground surrounded by mothers and team mates.

"Kelly!" she called breathlessly, falling to her knees beside the little turned to her with tear stained cheeks.

"Aunt Jenny, it hurts," she moaned.

"I know Kel," she sighed.

"It looks broken, Jenny," Ellen said. "You should get her to the hospital.

"Yeah," Jenny agreed, carefully lifting Kelly into her arms.

Later that afternoon, Kelly was released from the Children's National Medical Center with a cast on her arm. Jenny felt drained both physically and emotionally. She needed to sleep. She had circles under her eyes that could rival a raccoon's and her all traces of makeup were long gone.

Her mind had been on Kelly for the majority of their time there, but then her thoughts had shifted to Jethro. She was dreading telling the girl about her father. How could she tell her that the single most important person in her life might not becoming back? That she would quite possibly never see him again.

She was awaiting the call that he had made it through the night by some miracle. She was thankful that Jethro had made her Kelly's legal guardian and there would be no custody battles with the child's grandmother. She was on the brink of her breaking point, and that would tip her over the edge.

"Aunt Jenny are you okay?" Kelly asked quietly as they left the hospital. "You look like you were crying."

"I'm fine Kelly," Jenny sighed, exhausted.

"Is daddy hurt?" she asked. "I saw the officers. They only come when somebody's hurt really bad

"We'll talk when we get home," Jenny said.

"He is, isn't he?" Kelly demanded. Then she gasped as something occurred to her.

"Is he dead?" she whispered in terror.

"No," Jenny said with conviction, holding onto the notion that he was simply in critical condition. "He is not dead."

"Then what happened to him?" she asked.

"Kelly, not now," Jenny pleaded. "Let me get you home first, and then we'll talk."

"Tell me!" Kelly demanded.

"Kelly!" Jenny snapped and the young brunette turned away from her in anger.

"I hate you!" Kelly screamed. "I want my dad!"

"Kelly Marie Gibbs," Jenny growled. "You will calm down right now."

Her voice brokered no argument and Kelly's lips trembled. "You never tell me anything."

Jenny opened the car door with a withering look and Kelly climbed in without another word.

The drive home was silent. Kelly refused to speak to Jenny and break her vow of silence.

Halfway home, Kelly kicked the passenger's side door.

"Tell me!" she demanded. "I want to know!"

"Kelly!" Jenny scolded, but it was to no avail.

"He's dead! He's dead or you would've told me!" Kelly screamed.

"He is not dead. I told you that," Jenny said adamantly.

"Then what happened?" Kelly demanded. "Officers only come when they're dead or almost. Maddie told me."

Before she could respond, a cacophony of horns and squealing tires sounded and realizedthat she had driven through the a red light She saw the front bumper of a blue Fordjust in time to throw her hands up to cover her face.

She shielded Kelly as best she could before the truck collided with the driver's side door. She felt her car slide across the intersection. The sound of shattering glass, crumpling metal, and Kelly's blood-curdling screams were the last things she heard before darkness overwhelmed her.

A/n: Oh yeah...I did that :)