NCIS FTW, MariskaBaby92, JET1967, AzNeRd, TeamCarlisleandEsme8, Allie, alix33, left my heart in Paris, lachildress, teardrops of ink, ladybugsmomma, Ncisluver, Shy Chey 97, Kikilia14, thanks for all your reviews! I'm really glad you're still enjoying the story :)

Joanne was jarred awake and the sound of Kelly's terrified screams. She jumped out of bed and rushed down the hall into Kelly's room.

The young brunette thrashed in her bed, tears streaming down her face.

"Kelly!" Joanne called sharply, shaking her awake.

Kelly gasped and sat up with terrified eyes. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her damp hair stuck to her face.

"Daddy," she whimpered.

"He's here," Joanne assured her, wrapping her arms around the girl. "He's home."

"I want my daddy," Kelly sniffed.

As if on cue, Jethro appeared in the doorway despite being in evident pain. He winced as he made his way across the room. Joanne stood as he took her place, hugging his daughter to him.

"It's okay, Kel," he soothed as she sobbed into his chest. "I'm here. It's okay."

Unbeknownst to either Jethro or Kelly, Joanne slipped out of the room.

Not three minutes later, Jenny was pulled out of her sleep by a sharp rapping on the door. She moaned and slid out of bed, stumbling down the hall. She grumbled, flipping on the light in the foyer before yanking the door open.

Joanne attempted to mask a startled look when the door opened, revealing a scantily clad Jenny. She wore only a cotton baby doll over matching boy shorts.

"Joanne?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Kelly, she had a nightmare. You could probably do more good than I can," Joanne replied, though she was disinclined to say so.

"Okay," Jenny sighed, nodding sleepily.

She and Joanne walked out the door two minutes later, after Jenny had grabbed her robe.

When they made it to Kelly's room, the little girl seemed to have calmed some as she sat on her bed sniffling, wrapped in her father's arms.

Jethro looked up catching sight of Jenny, causing Kelly to do the same.

"Aunt Jenny," Kelly acknowledged, sniffling.

"Hi, honey," Jenny said in a soothing voice, making her way across the room. "What's going on?"

"I had a bad dream," Kelly whispered, her bottom lip starting to tremble. "Daddy got hurt, and he didn't come back. Then, you weren't there 'cause you got hurt in the car.

"Daddy's fine," Jenny assured her, rubbing her back. "I'm fine too. Neither one of us is going anywhere. Okay?"

Kelly nodded, snuggling deeper into her father's embrace, though she looked far from convinced.

Once Kelly had gotten back to sleep, Jethro pulled her blanket back over her and tried to stand to his feet, but grimaced as pain shot up his leg.

Jenny was at his side in an instant, tossing his arm around her shoulder so she could help him up.

She helped him to his room and into bed and asked, "What hurts?"

"I'm fine, Jen," he lied and she rolled her eyes.

"Where's your pain medication?" she sighed.

"There," he said, pointing to his bedside table.

She grabbed them and sent him a worried glance before heading toward the door, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be back."

She returned minutes later, a glass of water in hand. She sat on the edge of the bed and held it out to him along with the pill.

He swallowed the pill without protest and set the glass with the remaining water on the table before turning back to Jenny.

He tugged her closer to him and asked, "What happened in the car accident, Jenny?"

Jenny had been avoiding his questions since he had returned home.

"Kelly was fine," she assured him. "She had a few scratches, but other than that she was fine."

"And you?" he asked, knowing that was her way of avoiding telling him something.

"I'm fine, Jethro." she sighed, but he was having none of it.

"Jenny!" he snapped.

"Couple of broken ribs and a decent concussion," she replied reluctantly. "I was out for two days. I had plenty of bruises. Doctors say I was pretty beat up, but I'm fine. They also said I was lucky. It could have been a lot worse, Jethro."

"Why didn't they tell me?" he demanded angrily and she slid up the bed so that she sat next to him. "They told me you were both fine."

"You got blown up and had just come out of a coma. I would assume they didn't want to upset you and send you back," she replied smartly, attempting to lighten the mood. "Besides, by the time you woke up, we were."

"They should have told me," he insisted, her attempts having no affect on him.

"I'm okay, Jethro. We both are," she promised.

"I can't lose her, Jenny, or you," he said, and the emotion in his voice almost broke her heart.

"You won't, Jethro," she insisted earnestly, cupping his cheek. "You won't."

He cleared his throat and pulled gently away from her touch, making it very clear that he was not at all convinced.

"We aren't the ones in the Marines, Jethro," she whispered and she was met with a reproachful look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she sighed, reasoning that now was not the time.

She quickly thought better and met his eyes earnestly.

"It means, Jethro, we don't want to lose you either."

He gave her a curt nod, effectively ending the conversation and she scoffed softly, shifting her gaze to her lap. She had never seen anyone so adept or intent on avoiding emotions.

She pursed her lips at him in agitation, but a flicker of amusement danced in her eyes.

"Fine," she acquiesced for the time being. "Now lay down. Stop trying to be Mr. Man, and tell me what hurts."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, eyeing her apprehensively, a hint of alarm coloring his voice.

"Hit you over the head with a hammer, tie you up, and turn you into my personal little sex monkey," she quipped and smirked. "But you'd like that wouldn't you?"

"That a promise?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"Just do it," she laughed.

He smiled and complied with her demands and she crawled over him, straddling his hips.

"So it was a promise," he mused jokingly and she rolled her eyes.

"You're incorrigible," she muttered.

"Big word," he teased. "I'm guessing it means annoying."

"There's a big book on the bookshelf in the living room called a Dictionary. Use it," she whispered, sure to let her lips brush against his ear as she did so and sat back with a self-satisfied smirk when she felt his body tense beneath her.

He soon relaxed under the slow, attentive movements of her small hands over his neck and shoulders.

What scared him when he thought of it by chance days later was that his memories of Shannon doing the same thing had not once crossed his mind.

A little shorter than usual, I know, but I hope you liked it regardless :)

Happy Mommy's Day to all of you brave enough to be one :)