Chapter 10

Jenny pulled up into the driveway of her childhood George town home, her mother in the passenger seat, both had been out shopping together, relishing in the short amount of time that Jenny had at home away from college.

"Thanks for today, mum I really had fun" the younger redhead hugged her mother as they got their shopping bags out of the boot.

"I had fun too, sweetie, maybe April could come with us next time, make it a real girls trip?" Carolyn suggested, her youngest daughter had wanted to spend time with her boyfriend Scott, 'like she didn't spend enough time with him already'.

"Yeah" Jenny nodded with a small smile to her mother before they both made their way up the garden path, to the front door.

"You're fathers going to be so shocked when he see's how much be bought" Carolyn grinned at Jenny.

"You with think after twenty five years of being married to you he would realise that when he gives you his credit card, your going to use it" Jenny replied with a smile "Plus, he'll love the new tie we got him" she reminded.

"More like he got himself" Carolyn laughed as they dropped the bags by the front door, "I'll make us some tea, you get your father" she instructed and Jenny nodded.

"Daddy we're home" She called from the other side of his study door, the room he practically lived in.

Usually she heard a grunt or some sort of acknowledgment from him, giving her an indication that she could come in. "Daddy, it's me Jenny" she nocked again, he had almost always favoured her, she had always been daddy's little girl.

It was when all she got in return was silence that she noticed the door was open, he never left the study door open, especially if he was in there and working.

Her breathing and heart rate increased as she pushed the door open with her foot, she closed her eyes as she stepped in, she didn't even need to open them to know there was blood in the room, she could smell the metallic bitterness in the air.

After a couple of moment to be as brave as she could she finally opened her eyes, there he sat, limp in his chair, bullet through his head, gun in his hand "daddy" she cried rushing to his side as tears streamed down her face, "Please….no" she shook her head as she tried to get him to wake up, for him to look at her and laugh in her face and tell her he was joking.

Carolyn heard her daughters cries from the kitchen "Jenny, Jasp…." She began as she walked into her husband's study, only to find her husband dead in his chair and Jenny trying to help him to no end, her hands covered in his blood.

It took all of her strength to not break down crying and going into hysterics just like her daughter, she had to stay calm, be the rock her middle child needed right now. "Jenny, there's nothing we can do" Carolyn pulled Jenny away from Jasper's limp body only for them both to tumble onto the floor in the corner of the room.

The older Shepard women held her daughter and calmly ran her fingers through her red locks, trying to comfort her as they sat in the dark corner. "It's ok Jenny, I'm here" Carolyn soothed.

But soon everything seemed to fade, Carolyn's voice deepened and became more familiar, she then felt a kiss to her cheek…..

Jenny's eyes flew open, she was safe, she was in bed, in someone's arms, turning ever so slightly she found that it was Gibbs's arms that where hugging her "Sorry, did I wake you?" she asked almost trying to get away from his prying eyes, all full of questions and worry but mostly love.

Gibbs didn't say anything he just shook his head and released his grip on her a little and let her move away from his embrace and sleep on her side of the bed but still lay facing him, and closed her eyes trying to get back to sleep.

"I can't sleep with you staring at me" she grumbled tiredly to him, she popped one eye open and noticed how he was eyeing her "Spit it out Jethro before it chokes you" she continued.

Gibbs sighed before reaching over and pushing her sweaty red locks out of her face "what happened to your dad Jen?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" she asked wondering what she had said during her nightmare.

"I heard you calling to him, it seemed like you were having a nightmare" he explained, worry lacing his voice making her heart swell with love for him, he cared about her so much.

"Jethro, I'm tired, I promise I'll tell you in the morning" Jenny reached up and sealed the promise with a kiss before laying down and resting her head his chest, letting the soothing sound of his constant heartbeat lull her to sleep.

The next morning Gibbs woke only to find a note saying that she had forgotten to tell him that she'd had to leave really early because she had an op to run and a meeting with the sec-nav. So he guessed he couldn't be getting any answers this morning.

Carolyn walked into the kitchen later on to find Gibbs sitting at the round kitchen table glaring at his coffee cup. "Good morning Jethro" she smiled to her daughter's boyfriend. "Is everything ok?" she asked when he gave her nothing but a grunt in return.

He knew that Jenny would be very angry at him for asking her mother when she had told him that she would explain, but it was killing him and hurt him that he didn't know what her past was like she knew about Shannon and Kelly, he kept almost no ghosts from her at all.

"Jenny had a nightmare last night" he began, Carolyn knew immediately what was going to be coming from the marines mouth, Jasper's death always had haunted Jenny. "She asked for her father" he trailed off.

"Jaspers death was very hard on Jenny, she was very close to my husband" Carolyn said with a watery smile. "She found him" she stated "In the study"

Gibbs nodded "I understand" he gave her a weak smile.

"Yours so good for her" Carolyn smiled at him "I haven't ever seen her as happy with someone as she is with you"

"She makes me happy too" Gibbs assured her "I love Jenny, very much"

Carolyn nodded, she'd known that since she first met him "I have something" she mumbled before getting up and running up the stairs taking two at a time.

Gibbs just took another sip of his coffee as she walked back in with a smile on her face "I know it's early days but…" she trailed off holding out her hand to show him the simple but elegant diamond engagement ring in her palm "It was my mothers, Jenny always admired it when she was a little girl" she explained as she handed it to Gibbs.

He gulped "I don't know what to say…" he mumbled feeling that he had to say something but what he had no idea.

"I'm not saying ask her today or tomorrow or in the next two months even, you ask Jenny, when the moment is right you ask her and I assure you she won't say no, she'd be a fool not to" Carolyn assured Gibbs.

He nodded "I have to get to work" he said as he slipped the ring in his pocket and then left his house.

Hours later Gibbs walked into the NCIS headquarters with two cups of coffee in his hands, the extra one was for Jenny. He hadn't seen her all day, every time he had tried he had been told she was in MTAC but the minute he saw her walk out of the large, computer room looking very fed up and tired he knew she needed coffee.

"She in?" Gibbs asked Cynthia who seemed to be getting ready to leave for the day.

"Yes, I'll just" she leant over to hit the intercom but Gibbs stopped her.

"Don't worry, I just want to give her coffee" He assured before walking into Jenny's office in his usual fashion.

"Jethro" Jenny almost jumped out of her skin and her hand went straight to her heart to stop it beating so fast "What can I do for you?" she asked hoping he wouldn't notice the picture on the plasma screen.

"You ok Jen?" he asked noticing her make up looked a little but smudged and there was a half full tumbler of bourbon on her desk.

"Fine" she smiled at him weakly as he put the second cup of coffee on her desk "Thanks" she mumbled as she leant over and took the coffee and had a sip.

"Not cheating on me are you?" Gibbs asked in a jockey as he turned to the plasma screen to find a picture of an older, dark haired and eyed man.

"No" Jenny glared at him "He's no one, nothing" she shook her head as she struggled with the remote to get rid of the picture only to end up enlarging it.

"Is he something to do with your dad's death?" he asked eyeing her for a moment.

"How do you… did you look in my file?" she accused him, anger flaring in her eyes.

"Nope" Gibbs shook his head "Your mother told me" he admitted and watched as Jenny got angrier.

"Why did she…" she began.

"I asked her" he shrugged his shoulders "What can I say, the Shepard women just can't resist my charm" he said trying to lighten the mood that was slowly darkening.

"He was murdered" Jenny walked around her desk to stand in front of Gibbs "They police ruled it as a suicide, but I know different, I know that my father wouldn't have killed himself" she shook her head as she began to get all worked up, tears threatening to spill over her eyes. "He wouldn't have left us, he wouldn't" she was adamant.

"And you think this man killed him" Gibbs motioned to the picture of the man on the screen.

Jenny nodded "He worked with my father, I just know he did it" she assured him.

"We'll get him Jen" Gibbs pulled her to him and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"We?" She pulled back a little to look up at him.

"We're partners aren't we?" Gibbs asked with a knowing smile.

"I love you" Jenny reached up and pulling him in for a deep kiss.

TBC…

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