A/N: It's funny but when people ask me about story points in reviews, I usually tell them it will be one way (and I really think it will be) only to end up doing the exact opposite a few chapters later. So I guess that's my long way of saying, if you don't want the opposite happening, be careful what you ask me. As always, thank you so much to those who review - you are awesome!

***JIBBS***JIBBS***JIBBS***

"I'm so confused, I don't know where to begin."

Gibbs wasn't sure how to react to his father's words, but he was reserving the right to be angry. He knew if his father was anything other than welcoming, they were jumping right back in the car and turning around.

Jenny worried that her husband was possibly getting the wrong idea and realized quickly what her role was going to be in her new family. "Jack, we'll answer any of your questions. But first, would you like to hold your granddaughter?"

Jackson Gibbs immediately decided he liked his son's new wife. He smiled and nodded his head eagerly. The smile she radiated in return warmed his heart. Jenny carefully placed Julia in his waiting arms.

"She is… incredible," he said, his voice catching in his throat. Jack sat down carefully on the case of green beans, never taking his eyes off his granddaughter as her little fingers wiggled. "So she's really yours, son?"

Gibbs was irate. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"No disrespect meant, Leroy, but it hasn't been that long since you visited, and I think your team would have mentioned if you were seeing someone. Also, you called me about six months ago and never mentioned anything."

Jenny squeezed her husband's good hand. "You really can't be mad at him. He has every right to be confused. After all, we did conceive her… what? Five or six hours after seeing each other?"

Gibbs saw the shock on his father's face. "She forgot to say the word 'again' - after seeing each other again," he sighed. "It's a long story."

Jack looked at them both. "I'm still confused."

Gibbs scrubbed his hand down his face. "Any chance we could go back to the house, settle in and discuss this more when you get home?"

"You're all staying at the house? That's terrific. Tonight then."

"One more thing - we need to lock the door while we're staying with you."

The older Gibbs was going to protest but something about the look in his son's eyes made him reconsider. "Whatever you say, Leroy." Gibbs nodded tightly.

Jenny took Julia back and handed her carefully to Jethro. "I'll meet you at the car. Give me a second with your father." He started to say something, thought better of it and headed outside.

Jenny took Jack's hands in hers. "I'm so glad we finally got to meet. I'm very much looking forward to us getting to know each other." She then surprised him with a hug, whispering into his ear, "I need you to know that no father could find a woman to love his son more than I love yours. He's everything to me."

When she released him, he saw the sincerity in her eyes, along with a few tears. "Then my son is indeed a very lucky man. Welcome to our family, Jenny."

She nodded. "Thank you, Jack." She turned and walked out the door to join her family, leaving her father-in-law to try to recover from the shock.

In the car, Gibbs looked at her, a bit nervous about what might have transpired inside the store. "Everything okay?"

She smiled reassuringly at him. "Everything's great, Leeeeeroy," she drawled.

He snorted and shook his head as he parked the car.

"So this is the house you grew up in?"

Gibbs took a deep breath, memories flooding over him. "Yep." He grabbed a couple of suitcases and Julia's infant seat and ushered Jenny and Julia towards the front door. "Go ahead and open it; it won't be locked."

Jenny pushed the door open to reveal a cozy, warm house filled with mementos of a life well lived. While her husband brought all of their things inside, she looked around, marveling at the pictures of Jethro as a boy, as a teen and as a young marine. She came across a baby picture too and found herself comparing it to Julia.

"She's all you, don't worry."

Jenny shook her head. "Look for yourself. She totally has your eyes."

"As long as she has your smile, I'm good."

"You have an amazing smile. You just never want to show it off."

"I'm doing it more, aren't I?" He looked down at Julia, sleeping in her mommy's arms. "I have every reason to now."

Jenny reached for his chin and drew him towards her. "You sure do," she said, before kissing him. "Where are we sleeping? I might as well put her down."

"Follow me." He grabbed the bassinette and led her to his old bedroom, which was now the guest room.

Jenny gently put Julia down before looking around at her surroundings. "Is there anything left from when it was your room?"

He could hear the disappointment in her voice. "There wasn't that much when I did live here, but maybe in the closet?" He walked over to it and rummaged around the various things being stored in it until he found a cardboard box. He looked at Jenny and shrugged, pulling it out and setting it on the bed.

Jethro laughed when he looked inside. "This he saves."

Jenny glanced in the box and rolled her eyes. "Porn magazines?"

He looked insulted. "They had great articles, I'll have you know." He placed the box back in the closet.

She shook her head, teasing. "I'm sure. So I'm guessing teenage Jethro indulged in a lot of sexual fantasizing in this bed."

That got his attention. He poked his head out of the closet to find her sprawled invitingly across his bed. "I think that's a safe guess to make about any teenage boy."

"Did you ever get to make any of them come true in here?"

Is this a trick question? He thought long and hard about what answer would help him get lucky while also not making him sound like a total loser. "Not exactly."

"Hmm. What do you mean by that?"

"What's the best answer for me to give that could lead to you wanting to act some of them out?"

"The truth."

He sat down on the bed and sighed. "I doubt that."

She studied his face, trying to figure out what he was saying and what he wasn't. She sat up and poked him in the chest. "What's going on in there?"

"Truth is, none of them came true as a teen." He saw her smile sympathetically. "But I had this same conversation with Shannon and…" He saw her face fall as she turned away from him, drawing up her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. "And that's why I knew the truth would kill my chance of getting lucky."

"No, just give me a few minutes to process this. I am glad you told me the truth, no matter what."

They sat there on his teenage bed silently, Gibbs remembering being there with Shannon - and Jenny imagining him there with Shannon. She looked at his face and realized he was no longer there with her. "Can you take me with you?"

He looked at her, confused. "With me where?"

She lifted her head off her knees and reached for his hand. "Into your thoughts about Shannon. You were with her just now. Could you tell me about it? About her?"

He looked at her, not sure what to say. "She's in the past. Can't we leave her there?"

"I thought we were sticking with the truth, Jethro." He looked at her, confused. "She's not in the past. And you wanting to keep her all to yourself makes me feel far more threatened than if you just talked about her."

He shook his head. "Because bringing her up a second ago worked so well. You couldn't turn away from me fast enough. You're going to have to make up your mind, Jen. Either I'm to feel comfortable saying her name or you can continue to look like I've completely betrayed you when I do."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're absolutely right."

"I am?" Now he was really confused.

Jenny nodded. "I absolutely have been sending mixed messages. I'm a complete hypocrite." She fell back on the bed, angry at herself.

He situated himself so he was lying next to her on his side, his elbow bent with his head propped up on his hand. "You could have been great about it, and I'm still not sure I'd be able to open up.

She turned over on her stomach, propping herself up as well to look him in the eye. "I know you love me. I wish I could feel more generous about sharing you. I think… I think it just hurts that there is a part of you that I can't reach, that I can't touch. It didn't matter so much when I had my own secrets. But I bared my soul to you… and an entire courtroom, granted, but still."

He smiled at her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him. "When I tell you that you're my everything, I mean it. I don't mean, 'you're my everything that I still have left,' you know?"

He sat up, not able to look at her. "Do you have any idea how much I hate when you say things like that? How much it hurts me?" His volume began to match his rising anger. "Damn it, Jenny, am I that lousy a husband that I make you feel so insecure? How on earth could you not know how much I love you?"

Julia started crying.

"Shit! I'm sorry, honey." He made a move to go to her and Jenny shoved him back down.

"No. Not when you're angry. Go take a walk or something." She quickly picked up their daughter and held her against her shoulder, gently rubbing circles on her back and kissing her cheek. "We didn't mean to upset you, sweet girl. We love you. Shhh, it's okay."

He stood up, wanting to reach out to Jules but the harsh look on Jenny's face, motioning for him to go, sent him begrudgingly out of the room. She watched him go, surprised at her own reaction. A few weeks ago, a fight like that would have had her apologizing profusely and pleading with him to know she never meant to hurt him. She sighed. "I guess I really am a mom." She closed her eyes, holding her daughter close, trying to sooth her cries.

Gibbs slammed the front door and started walking, passing his father on the way.

"Where are you off to, Leroy?"

"Need some air."

Jack watched as his son took off on foot. He looked back at the house, nervous about what he might find inside. He gently pushed open the door and found Jenny, sitting alone in the living room, crying on the couch. When she heard the door open, she looked up with hope in her eyes, only to have it replaced with disappointment.

"What the hell happened?"

"It's all my fault, Jack. I really screwed up this time."

Jack's heart broke for her. He sat down next to her and held her as she cried.