Home is Where the Heart Is

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't. (I'd hire a few of you to be on my writing staff if I did)

Author's Note: Please be assured that I "Gibbs slapped" my muse for hurting Jen! Thank you for the reviews! :)

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Chapter 14

Blood. This time is was hers.

"Boss?" He heard Tony's voice behind him.

"Call a damn ambulance, DiNozzo. She's been shot!" He registered that Tony was following his orders, but his focus was on the woman in his arms. "C'mon, Jen. Hold on. Ambulance is on its way" He was glad to see that although her breathing was shallow, she was doing it on her own. The bleeding, too, had slowed—but not stopped.

He heard footsteps scrambling on the tile in the foyer.

"Mom!"

He turned just in time to see Ziva successfully hold the boy back. She whispered something softly in his ear and he stopped struggling. He saw that they both noticed Svetlana's body on the floor. "Gibbs?" He heard the concern in her voice.

"Jen's gonna be okay. The ambulance is on its way. She's lost some blood so she passed out" His words were surprisingly calm and he knew it was more for the boy's benefit than anyone else's. He let his eyes take in the sight of his son. His son—their son. He searched the eyes that were the same color blue as his own. "You okay?"

Henry stared at the man holding his mother. He wanted to speak, but ended up nodding instead. His eyes were filled with tears, but he did not want anyone to see them fall—especially this man. He heard Ziva whisper again, softly in Hebrew. He buried his head in her chest and allowed her to hold him tightly.

Gibbs felt Jenny stir. A small moan. Ziva released Henry and he was kneeling at her side. "Mom?"

She forced her eyes open at the sound—Henry! His hand slipped into hers and she was able to squeeze it slightly. He was okay. She closed her eyes again and drifted.

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Ducky found him pacing in front of the double doors that lead to the surgical suite of the Trauma center. "I left Mr. Palmer to deal with the body. I saw Ziva and Henry in the main waiting area. How is she?"

"They won't let me in. They wouldn't let me stay with her. Something about a bullet hitting her lung" Out of habit, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "She only came to for just a minute and then she was out again"

"Did she see Henry?"

"Yeah, she did. I'm glad that she did"

The door flew open and both men turned expectantly to look at the woman in surgical scrubs, "I'm Dr. Hollinger. The bullet went clean thorough without hitting any major blood vessels. It did, however, puncture her lung and caused it to collapse. She tolerated the surgery well. She'll be in recovery for at least the next two hours so we can keep a close eye on her vital signs and oxygenation. The chest tube will remain in place while the lung heals. ICU for at least 48 hours. If she does well, we'll move her to a regular room after that. She was lucky."

Gibbs waited until the doctor had moved away before muttering, "Luck had nothing to do with it"

"She is in good hands, Jethro. I do believe that there is one lad who will be very happy to hear the news. Ziva found him?"

"Locked in the back of a cargo van a block away. He has a tape burn around his wrist, but seems to be okay."

"I'll check him over—just to be sure." He looked thoughtfully at Jethro. "What are you going to do now?"

"Doctor said Jen would be out of it for a while longer so I---"

"I wasn't speaking of Jennifer and I'm sure you know that." He paused, "He has the look of you, Jethro. The hair is his mothers, but the eyes are a giveaway. Does the boy know who you are?"

"I don't think so" he managed, "I didn't even know about him until today."

"And now that you do?"

"I don't know, Duck" It wasn't a good answer, but it was the truth.

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Gibbs didn't need to be a trained investigator to see that Henry wasn't thrilled with the arrangements. He was reluctant to leave Ziva, but ultimately the argument that Gibbs lived so much closer to the hospital won him over. Gibbs walked slowly around his basement, aware of the boy sitting on the stairs, but wanting to give him space.

"Why do you build a boat in your basement?"

"Hobby"

"How do you get her out of the basement?"

"Secret. I'd tell you, but I only tell people who help me work on her." He grinned, "Hey, how'd you know a boat is a "she"?

Henry snorted, "My Mom works for the Navy. Kind of hard not to know that one"

"Well, I never could get your Mom to call my boat a "she".

He could feel the look from the stairs. "You must have known my Mom for a long time"

"Yep" He watched as Henry made his way down the stairs and laid a careful hand on the boat. He handed the boy a block of sandpaper, "Here" he licked his finger and ran it along the wood, revealing the grain. "Trick is to sand with the grain" He watched, nodding in satisfaction. The boy was a fast learner. Something else he got from Jen.

"Got any kids, Agent Gibbs?"

He almost choked on his coffee, "Why do you ask that?"

Henry shrugged, "Just wonderin', I guess. This shirt is the right size for a kid"

"I was married before. I had a daughter, but she… well, she died" He stopped sanding and looked thoughtfully at the boy. "I don't tell too many people about that." He pointed at the name painted on the boat, "I named the boat after her"

"Kelly. That's kind of neat, having a boat named after you, I mean"

They sanded in companionable silence for the next twenty minutes. Gibbs looked up and caught Henry stifling a yawn. He gently opened his hand and the boy laid the sander in it. "Enough for tonight. Time for bed"

It wasn't until Gibbs went to turn out the light that Henry spoke again, "Agent Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your daughter. I think she'd really like the boat"

"Good night, Henry."

"My Mom's gonna be okay, right?" That time, Gibbs did hear the small catch in the boy's voice. He came into the room and sat on the end of the bed.

"Your Mom is a strong woman. The doctor said that she's gonna be fine and I believe her. You should, too. I know it's been a rough couple of days"

"Ziva said that Andrea died" The statement was matter of fact, but Henry didn't hide the lone tear that slid down his cheek.

Jethro couldn't stop the hand that reached out and tousled the boy's dark red hair. "Not your fault. I know that you guys were good friends"

"G'nite, Gibbs" He rolled on his side a bit too quickly in an effort to hide further emotion.

Jethro turned and flipped the light switch, dousing the room in darkness. "Want me to leave the door cracked a little?"

"Uh, huh"

He paused in the hall outside the door. He could hear the faint sniffles, but knew it was best to let the boy work this one out on his own. He slid down the wall and sat in the hall outside of Henry's door. A son. He had a son—with Jenny. He had never considered having children with any of his ex-wives. It didn't seem fitting somehow. The fact that he had a child with Jenny felt right—and that thought made him smile.

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To Be Continued….