NCIS FTW, LuciferAzrealMourningStar, JET1967, alix33, teardrops of ink, left my heart in Paris, PolkadottedAngels, MariskaBaby92, beccababe0125, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Ncisluver, and Kikilia14 thank you so much for reviewing guys!

A/n: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well :)

Kelly sat in the children's center of the Washington Medical Hospital Center coloring in a pad one of the nurses had found for her. She had cast on her brpken arm and a series of butterfly stitches on her left arm and cheek where the glass had cut her, but she was otherwise unscathed. The nurses had continuously told her how lucky she was, but they continued to evade her questions regarding Jenny. She was tired of being treated like a china doll. She hated being kept in the dark.

She looked up as Vanesa, a pretty, dark-haired nurse came up beside her. "Hey chica," she sighed with a light Argentinean accent, squatting to Kelly's height.

She had been particularly attentive to Kelly, making sure the little girl was comfortable and had something to do.

"There's somebody here for you," she said, nodding back toward the door.

Kelly looked past her to see a short woman with strawberry-blonde hair smiling at her. Kelly did not smile back. "She's from Social Services?" she asked.

"Yeah," Vanesa said, trying to get Kelly to meet her eyes. "She's going to take you until your grandmami gets here."

Kelly tensed at the mention of her grandmother. The woman was a stranger to her. She knew nothing of her aside from the fact that she was her mother's mother. Her father's mother had died long before she was born.

"Do I have to go with her?" she asked.

"Just for a little bit," Vanesa assured her, smiling sympathetically.

"Fine," Kelly acquiesced. "Is my Aunt Jenny okay though?" she asked for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. "Can she come see me later?"

She received the same answer she had been getting all day as well. "She will be. You'll be able to see her soon."

The Social Services caseworker, who Vanesa introduced as Mrs. Scott, stepped forward and smiled guardedly at her.

"Hi Kelly," she greeted the small brunette. "I'm Mrs. Scott. Do you know why I'm here?"

"I know who you are," Kelly replied, thinking that Jenny would scold her for being rude. "You're going to take me with you until my grandma comes."

"That's right," Mrs. Scott said, holding her hand out for Kelly to take. "It won't be so bad, I promise."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hours later, a blonde woman in a white pantsuit walked through the halls of Social Services, her nude-colored kitten heels clicking against the linoleum floors. She toyed with the string of pearls around her neck absentmindedly out of nervous habit.

Finally, she came upon the cubicle with the only real light in the building. A blue eyed woman looked up from her dimly lighted desk and smiled.

"Joanne Fielding?" she asked, and the blonde nodded. "Great. I just need to see some ID. Then, I just have a few things for you to you sign and you can take her and be on your way."

Joanne's eyes were drawn to the small brunette who was fast asleep in the chair opposite the Social worker's desk, her legs curled up into her chest. It pained her that she had never really bothered to know the girl. It was too difficult after Shannon's death. It was not the child's fault that her mother had died, but seeing as Shannon had died giving birth to her Joanne could not help but resent her a little at the time. She looked so much like her mother too.

Joanne looked abruptly as she registered a woman's voice in the background. "Are you alright Mrs. Fielding?" the caseworker asked.

"Fine," Joanne replied, mentally shaking herself.

The younger woman eyed her for a moment before handing her a form on a clipboard. "Sign where it's highlighted in pink and initial where it's yellow," she said.

Joanne briefly glanced over the paper before doing as she was told and handed the clipboard back. She leaned over and scooped her granddaughter into her arms even as her back protested and thanked the caseworker before making her exit.

The following morning, Kelly rubbed her eyes and moaned as she woke up. She blinked her eyes blearily and slid out of bed. The welcome smell of bacon and eggs assaulted her senses as she opened her door and padded down the hall.

She walked into the kitchen and stopped at the sight of unfamiliar blonde hair. Tears sprung to her eyes at the realization that the previous day had not been just a dream. Her nightmare was now her reality.

Joanne turned to her with a smile. "Good morning," she greeted, but Kelly simply stood there. "I'm your grandma," she tried. "Grandma Joanne."

"Where's Aunt Jenny?" Kelly asked and Joanne eyed her sympathetically.

"You don't remember yesterday?" she asked.

"She's really hurt?" Kelly asked, tears strangling her voice.

"She's getting better," Joanne assured her.

"How do you know?" Kelly demanded, her bottom lip quivering.

Joanne sighed and asked, "Do you want something to eat?"

Kelly sat at the table without a word and Joanne forked bacon, eggs, and fruit onto her plate. "Thanks," Kelly whispered.

They sat in silence that way until Kelly spoke again. "Is my daddy dead?" she asked abruptly. "Aunt Jenny wouldn't tell me, but she was crying. I could tell. She doesn't cry unless something really bad happens. Like, really, really, bad. He's dead isn't he?"

"I don't know," Joanne answered truthfully. She watched fresh tears spring to Kelly's eyes and she hated that that was the only thing she could tell her. She hated that she had to be the one to try and comfort her. She hated that she knew so little about her, and did not how to comfort her.

Kelly pushed her chair back and ran out of the kitchen. Joanne heard the thumping of her feet on the steps and then the slamming of a door. She debated whether to go after her and ultimately decided to give her some time to herself.

Half an hour later, Joanne climbed the stairs and made her way down the hallway to Kelly's room. The little girl had not left it since her exit from the kitchen thirty minutes before. She hesitated outside Kelly's door before knocking softly.

"Kelly?" she called. Upon receiving no reply she tried again. "Kelly?" Again, no answer.

She pushed the door open and her eyes softened sympathetically for what seemed like the billionth time just that morning. Kelly laid face-down on her stomach and if the sniffles were any indication, she was crying as well.

"Kelly," Joanne sighed, crossing the room.

She sat on the edge of Kelly's bed and pulled the girl to her. To her surprise and relief Kelly did not pull away.

"It's my fault," Kelly cried. "I was being bad and screaming. She got distracted and we crashed. It's all my fault. I told her I hated her and I might not get to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I promise!"

"Kelly, your Aunt Jenny will be fine," Joanne soothed. "She will be fine, and you'll get to tell how sorry you are. She will forgive you, trust me. No matter what you do, mothers always forgive you."

"She's not my mommy," Kelly whispered dejectedly.

"But she may as well be, right?" Joanne asked, pushing Kelly's hair out of her face. For the time being she pushed aside any qualms she had with Kelly thinking of anyone as her mother other than Shannon. "She acts like a mommy?"

"Yeah," Kelly said, giving her a watery smile.

Joanne returned the smile. "Well, she'll forgive you then," she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The following afternoon, Joanne walked through the doors of the hospital, Kelly's small hand clasped tightly in hers. They were there only at Kelly's insistent behest. She had been unrelenting in her request to see Jenny.

As Joanne and Kelly made their way up to the reception desk, the voice of an outraged man became clearer, his voice resonating throughout the waiting room.

"She is my daughter!" he insisted. "I've been away. I only just got the calls and I jumped on a plane! I've been flying for almost ten hours. I want to see my daughter."

"Sir, I would be happy to do that. I just need to see some identification," the receptionist said, an attitude working its way into her voice.

"I don't have any ID!" he snapped, his eyes blazing. "I told you, I had to have my luggage sent over. I just got on a plane. I can't find my passport. I probably dropped it running out of the airport! I heard my daughter was in a car crash and I just got on a plane. I am her next of kin."

"A Leroy Jethro Gibbs is her next of kin," the receptionist said. "You told me your name was Jasper Shepard."

Jasper stopped, feeling as if he had just been slapped, pushed to the ground, and kicked in the gut in rapid succession. Had their relationship gotten that bad that Jenny hadn't trusted him to be there in a medical emergency? Still didn't trust him to be there?

He was pulled out of his reverie by a familiar, tiny voice.

"Uncle Jasper?" Kelly called from behind him.

He spun to face her, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Kelly," he laughed in relief, squating to her height. "You're okay?"

Kelly nodded, falling into his arms. He was the first familiar face she had seen since her entire ordeal began.

"She'll be okay right?" she asked, fear coloring her voice. "She won't go away like my mommy did?"

Upon hearing Kelly's words Julie gasped quietly from behind the pair, drawing Jasper's attention to her. He eyed her in guarded confusion and Kelly looked between the two briefly before speaking.

"That's my grandma Joanne," she said. "She came to get me when you weren't here."

Jasper winced at her words. Despite knowing that they had no been meant to be spiteful or cutting, they reminded him of his mistakes with Jenny and Heather. He was never there when he was supposed to be.

He moved to his feet and left one hand resting in Kelly's shoulder before holding his other out to Joanne.

"Jasper Shepard," he said.

She shook the offered hand and replied with a simple, "Joanne Fielding."

After several minutes sparring with the strong-headed receptionist, the three of them were allowed in to see Jenny.

Not five minutes later, they entered Jenny's room and the feeling in it was unnerving. The blinds were drawn and the lights were off, leaving only the light of the halls outside to illuminate the small space. It was so quiet it was almost eerie. The only sound in the room was Jenny's nearly inaudible breathing and the steady beep of the machines she was hooked up to.

Kelly subconciously tightened her grip on her grandmother's hand at the sight of aberrantly immobile redhead. Her normally pale skin now had a ghost like cast to it. Her warm, green eyes were hidden, and there was a nasal cannula in her nose. Whereas she was ususally a force to be reckoned with, she now looked frail and weak in her hospital bed.

Kelly slipped her hand out of Joanne's and slowly made her way toward Jenny.

"Aunt Jenny," she whispered, prodding the woman gently. "Wake up."

She was expectedly unresponsive and Kelly climbed onto the bed, and shook her harder.

"Wake up," she demanded more forcefully. "Please?" she added quieter as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't hate you, I promise. I didn't mean it," she insisted. "Please get up. Your my mommy. I don't care what you say. Even Grandma Joanne said so. Please wake up," she begged.

Joanne moved forward silently, and pulled the hysterical child off the bed and into her arms.

"We'll come back tomorrow okay? I think you've had enough," she murmured.

Kelly said nothing, by then reduced to gasping sobs. Now was the only time Jenny had never woken when she asked her to.

Later that night, Jenny woke in a dark hospital room smelling of bleach and latex. She tried to sit up, but cried out as pain seared through her left side. Her head was pounding and her entire body was on fire.

Within minutes a doctor entered the room and smiled. "Good to see you awake, Ms. Shepard," he said. "You gave us quite the scare. I can imagine you're in quite a bit of pain."

Jenny murmured in agreement. That was putting it lightly. "Where's Kelly?" she asked. The last thing she remembered was her screaming.

"The child in the car with you?" he queried and she nodded.

"She was relatively unharmed. We released her to Social Services where she was to be retrieved by her grandmother, a Joanne Fielding."

"Oh my God," Jenny muttered, wincing as she took a breath. "When can I leave here?" she asked and the doctor eyed her incredulously.

"We'd like to keep you another day or two at least. You've got three broken ribs and a concussion. You've been unconscious the better part of two days," he said, shining a light in her eyes.

"I hate hospitals," she sighed, falling back into the pillows.

He laughed and said, "I'll try to get you out of here as soon as I can then. Just a few questions, mandatory with head injuries."

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"I was ina car accident," she sighed. "

"Yeah," she conceded.

"What's your full name?"

"Jennifer Elizabeth Shepard."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine."

"What year is it?"

"1995."

"Where do you work?"

"Shepard Designs. I own my own business."

"Good," he said. "You seem to have your memory and your vitals are fine. I think you can be out of here and home with your little girl by tomorrow."

"Wait," she called, stopping him as he turned to leave. "What time is it?" she asked.

He checked his watch and replied, "ten til eight."

"Can I call her?"

He smiled. "I'll get a phone in here for you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thirty minutes later, Joanne dashed for the phone having just sent Kelly upstairs to brush her teeth.

"Gibbs residence," she answered.

"Joanne Fielding?"came a tired, almost childish sounding alto voice.

"Who is this?" Joanne demanded.

"Jenny Shepard. Could I talk to Kelly? Is she okay?" Jenny asked in concern and anxiety.

Joanne's eyes widened in surprise and realization.

"She's fine," she assured the younger woman. "Just a minute."

Upon hearing the call of her name, Kelly appeared promptly at the top of the steps.

"There's someone who wants to talk to you," Joanne said, smiling and Kelly knit her brows in confusion before running down the steps.

She took the phone from her grandmother and held it to her ear. "Hello?" she queried.

Jenny smiled at the sound of her voice. "Hey, Kel. You okay?"

Kelly gasped. "Aunt Jenny? You woke up? I came to see you and you didn't wake up."

"I know," Jenny said. I heard you.

"Why didn't you wake up?" Kelly asked, hurt.

"I couldn't," Jenny said. "I tried Kelly. I promise, I tried. I just couldn't"

"I'll come see you now," Kelly said, excited at the prospect of it. "I can come see you now, right?"

"Not tonight," Jenny laughed. "You have to go to bed. I'll be here tomorrow."

"Promise?" Kelly whispered. "You won't go away like my other mommy did?"

Jenny bit her lip to stop the tears that pricked at her eyes. "I promise," she said.