Right In Front Of You

by JenJethero4everasone

Part Three, a follow up to 'Balancing Act'. An unexpected pregnancy, a wedding in Paris, the trial of Leon Vance. Jethro has an important decision to make on his future, and the birth of Jacqueline and Michael.

21. Jen Takes The Stand

February 20th 2010

Berlin, Germany

The Regent Berlin

Gibbs and Jenny's Suite

1500 Hours CET

Gibbs wakes up in bed to find his wife sleeping beside him. He reaches under the covers and begins to touch her naked body. "Five more minutes." Jenny mumbles in protest.

"You've been asleep for ten hours." Gibbs laughs and pulls Jenny into his arms. "We haven't made love yet in Germany." Gibbs smiles.

"I passed out, soon as my head hit the pillow." Jenny yawns.

"So did I." Gibbs answers and pulls Jenny's face up and tenderly kisses her on the mouth. Gibbs guides Jenny on to her back and rolls on top of her. "Now we can add German to our places that we've made love in Europe." Gibbs smirks.

"You better make it a quick one, because I'm starving." Jenny softly says.

"I don't have a quick one in me." Gibbs growls and kisses her passionately.

Washington, DC

NCIS Head Quarters

Squad Room

0900 Hours EST

Tony, Ziva, and McGee are talking amongst themselves in the bullpen. "Where did you say Gibbs and Jenny were staying at?" Tony curiously asks.

"The Regent Berlin." Ziva answers dryly.

"How fancy is it?" Tony shrugs.

"Five star hotel, plus it's a spa." Ziva smiles.

"Obviously Jenny picked it out." Tony grins.

"As long as there's a bar and a restaurant in it, that's all the boss cares about." McGee answers smoothly.

"All Gibbs cares about, is the bedroom." Tony smirks.

Cassie approaches the entrance to Gibbs' section. "Agent DiNozzo!" She calls out to him.

"Yes Director!" Tony answers and walks over to her.

"I reprimanded Gibbs for no reason yesterday." "You were sticking your nose in his and the Director's sex life again." "That was the reason why he was snapping out at you and Officer David." Cassie answers firmly.

"I was just as guilty Director." Ziva quickly answers.

"I guess Gibbs got in your face about it." Tony sheepishly asks.

"No I was gloating when I came into MTAC about my sparring match with Gibbs with Director Shepard and she told me the reason why Gibbs was being snippy with you Tony." "She caught you eavesdropping on her conversation with her husband, while they were up on the balcony."

Cassie answers sharply.

"Nothing gets past her." Tony grumbles.

"And you haven't figured this out yet Tony." McGee mutters.

"I apologized to Agent Gibbs." Cassie answers softly.

"Boss doesn't like apologies." Tony laughs.

"Where I come from you make them when you make a mistake Agent DiNozzo." Cassie nods at him and walks off for the elevator.

Tony walks over to McGee and stands behind his shoulder. "Find anything yet on that video." Tony asks.

"Not yet!" McGee sighs.

"I want to check out the crime scene again." Ziva says and gets up from her desk.

"I'll go with you, maybe we missed something." Tony answers roughly and walks over to his desk to retrieve his coat and knapsack.

Berlin, Germany

The Regent Berlin

Gibbs and Jenny's Suite

1700 Hours CET

After making love, Gibbs has his face pressed up against Jenny's shoulder trying to regain his breathing. Jenny lies motionless as she comes down from her orgasm. Gibbs raises his head off of her shoulder to stare into the depths of Jenny's green eyes. "For awhile there, I thought you were falling asleep on me there." Jenny smiles and tenderly strokes his face.

"I was just listening to your heartbeat and your breathing after our love making." Gibbs smiles and passionately kisses Jenny on the mouth. He descends down to her neck and nips along her pulse line.

"I'm in desperate need of a shower." Jenny groans.

"Afterwards!" Gibbs says as he nips his way up to Jenny's left ear.

"Afterwards what?" Jenny asks.

"You come undone, on top of me." Gibbs whispers in her ear. He kisses Jenny on the mouth and rolls on to his back and brings her on top of him. They are exchanging passionate kisses. Gibbs deepens his kiss and gets them into a sitting position. Jenny cries out as he unexpectedly enters her. "You said you would show me how much you loved me." Gibbs smiles at her.

"We've made love six times already." Jenny moans out as he thrusts up against her.

Gibbs hands go down to Jenny's hips and he pulls her body closer up against him. "And the seventh time I want you to show me."

Slowly Jenny moves her body against him. Gibbs changes the angle of his hips so that Jenny can slip deeper inside of him. "That's cheating!" She hisses in protest.

Gibbs pulls Jenny up against his chest. "Pretty soon I won't be able to do this." He smirks.

"I'm not going to put any weight on." Jenny cries out as he thrusts up against her.

"Oh yes you are." Gibbs laughs at her.

Jenny lost in her orgasm as his shaft stroked deeper inside of her. "Yes!" She screams out. Gibbs holds back on his release. He presses her hips against him as she moves her lower body in a frenzied pace. "Jethro!" She begs him as her muscles convulse around his harden length.

"Look at me." Gibbs smiles at her demanding eye contact. Jenny looks into the depths of his blue eyes at the moment he climaxes inside of her. He falls back and brings Jenny on top of him. Caught up in the emotion from their lovemaking Jenny trembles against him. Gibbs rubs Jenny's hair to bring her down from her orgasm. "I could spend an eternity looking into the depths of your green eyes when you've completely lose yourself in me." Gibbs says in between breaths and kisses Jenny on top of her forehead. He pulls Jenny's face up and tenderly kisses her on the face and mouth.

Borchardt Restaurant

2000 Hours

Gibbs smiles over at Jenny as she's eating everything from her dinner plate. "Difference two months makes, your eating again." Gibbs says and kisses her hand.

"I've picked up my appetite again." Jenny answers softly, then takes a sip from her glass of water. "I've already scoped out the stores I want to go shopping at tomorrow." Jenny says, as Gibbs rolls his eyes in protest. "And who says you have to go, I do have Melvin with me." Jenny sighs.

"Few more weeks you won't be fitting into your regular clothes." Gibbs snorts.

"Keep rubbing it in Jethro." Jenny mutters.

"It will be well worth it." "A part of us is growing inside you." Gibbs smiles.

The Regent Berlin

Gibbs and Jenny's Suite

0300 Hours

Gibbs watches over Jenny as she sleeps in his arms. His hands go down to her belly. "Five more months!" Gibbs says with anticipation as he rubs his unborn child.

February 28th 2010

Dulles International Airport

1000 hours

Gibbs is standing outside of customs waiting for Mike. Mike walks over to him. "I told you I would of taken a cab over." He growls in protest.

"And miss out on one of our dives that we use to go to." Gibbs chuckles and takes Mike's carry on bag from him.

"Not in a hurry to get back to the Mrs." Mike laughs.

"She's out with Ziva and Abby, doing a girls thing." Gibbs groans in protest. "We just got back from Berlin the other day, so we need a break from one another."

At a diner

Half an hour later

Linda, Gibbs and Mike's waitress walks over to their table with a pot of coffee. "I haven't seen you in awhile Gibbs." Linda smiles at him and pours Gibbs and Mike their coffees.

"Don't head down this way anymore." Gibbs shrugs.

Mike waits for Linda to walk off. "And why is that?" Mike curiously asks.

"I use to bring Hollis here." "She lived near by." Gibbs answers smoothly.

"Don't bring Jenny here." Mike asks.

"No, I have my haunts that I take her to that nobody else goes to." Gibbs comments roughly.

"How is it Jethro?"

"Not what I expected that's for sure." "Less arguing, we make love more than ever." "And some how other than one time." "We've managed to keep the Director at work." Gibbs smiles.

"What about Agent Gibbs?" Mike snickers.

"I keep him at work also." "It's nice!" "I do my thing out in the garage." "I don't get hassled, like my ex-wives use to do to me." "A quiet wife that lets me have my space."

"And while your having your space and quiet time." Mike sheepishly asks.

"She's in her study doing paper work during the week or has her book and gets lost in it." "I couldn't be happier Mike."

"And the baby." Mike smiles.

"Four months this weekend." "End of July is the baby's due date." Gibbs smiles.

Linda returns with their food. "Here you go." She smiles at them, puts their plates down in front of them, and walks away.

Mike raises a curious eyebrow at his breakfast. "Isn't steak and eggs a Navy thing." He shrugs.

"I work for the Navy, Mike." Gibbs smirks and cuts into his steak.

Jenny's House

Gibbs' Bedroom

1230 Hours

"You recreated your bedroom from the other house." Mike smiles at him.

"Bathroom is over there." Gibbs points.

Mike walks over and steps inside. He glances over at the hot tub in the left hand corner. "Damn Probie!" Mike says with his jaw dropping. Gibbs walks in and turns on the lights. "You were suppose to build me one in Mexico." Mike barks in protest. Gibbs shrugs at him. "Use it a lot." Mike asks and walks over to it.

"Few times a week." Gibbs answers smoothly and walks over.

"You could swim in that thing." Mike says in disbelief.

"Let me show you the nursery." Gibbs laughs and starts to walk out of the room.

Mike notices the shower and walks over to it. He notices the spa shower up against the wall, with one of the air jets in the right position. Then his attention is drawn to the hand railings and the bench seat with the hand held shower nozzle. "You're a sick individual." Mike mutters and shakes his head.

"Some of the reasoning was for my Dad." Gibbs growls and walks out of the room.

"Yeah right!" Mike cackles and walks away.

The Nursery

"I like the color Jethro." Mike smiles.

"Its not for a girl." Gibbs groans in protest.

Unobserved, Jenny is standing in the doorway listening in on their conversation. "Do we really have to go through this again?" Jenny sighs in protest.

Gibbs hangs his head. "Caught again I presume." Mike chuckles and walks over to Jenny.

"Yes!" Jenny smiles and affectionately hugs him.

Mike returns the hug and rubs Jenny's belly. "Probie's right you are showing." Mike smiles.

"I'm not expecting to get any bigger." Jenny answers dryly.

"A huh, keep saying it." Gibbs smirks.

Jenny walks over to Gibbs and kisses him. "I'm taking a nap, play nice." She teases them.

"I wanted to show Mike the Master Bedroom." Gibbs comments smoothly.

Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring. "Shepard!" She answers and walks off.

Gibbs and Mike walk across the hall and into the Master Bedroom. Mike glances around the room and notices Gibbs' personal items from his house in the room. "Definitely different from the last time I was in here." Mike answers roughly.

"Its our room." Gibbs grins.

Jenny walks into the room. "Alright you two, out." She orders them and flops down on top of the bed.

"Going to take off your clothes." Mike cackles.

Jenny leans over and takes off her boots. "No, the no clothes rule isn't in affect when I take a nap in my bedroom." Jenny smirks.

"Spoiling my fun." Mike grumbles and walks out of the room.

"Mine also!" Gibbs grins at her. Jenny narrows her eyes over at him. "You look your best when you're naked." Gibbs smirks and walks out of the room.

"I could say the same thing about you." Jenny smiles and lies down on the bed.

March 1st 2010

Court House

0900 Hours

"Your next witness, Ms. Whelan." Flaherty nods down at her.

Whelan stands up. "Prosecution, calls Director Jenny Shepard to the stand."

Standing outside the courtroom. "Remember, I'm right here." Gibbs whispers and squeezes on to Jenny's hand. Together they walk into the courtroom. Gibbs takes his seat next to Tony and Ziva. Jenny walks over to the witness stand.

The court clerk approaches her. "Raise your right hand." The clerk instructs Jenny. "Do you swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god."

"Yes I do." Jenny answers softly.

"You may be seated." The clerk nods at her and walks away.

Jenny sits down in her seat at the witness stand. Whelan walks over to her. "For the court, could you please state your name please?" Whelan instructs her.

"Jennifer Shepard, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service." Jenny answers.

"Are you married Director?" Whelan asks.

"Yes!" Jenny smiles and glances over at Gibbs. "I married Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on December 6th of last year in Paris, France."

"Any reason why you don't use your husband's last night." Whelan curiously asks.

"Agent Gibbs has three ex-wives so I decided to keep my maiden name, besides he doesn't get along to well with the Director." Jenny laughs.

The audience in the court bursts out laughing. Judge Flaherty bangs her gavel on top of the bench. "Order!" She shouts.

"I want to first start with the Thallium poisoning." "When did you first feel the effects of it?" Whelan asks.

"Beginning of the last week in August." "I kept getting numbness in my legs and towards the end of the week shortness of breath."

"Following week is when you decided to go see Doctor Mallard." Whelan asks.

"Yes!" "He took a blood sample, MRI, and some X-rays." Jenny answers firmly.

"The following evening he gave you the results in your office." Whelan asks.

"Yes!" Jenny frowns.

"How did you feel?" Whelan asks.

"Devastated!" "To hear those words from a long time cherished friend." Jenny answers with her voice trembling with emotion.

"He gave you six months to life." Whelan asks.

"Yes!"

"Did you tell anybody at NCIS?" Whelan sheepishly asks.

"No, under my instructions, I wanted my illness get confidential between Doctor Mallard and myself." Jenny answers softly.

"Not even Agent Gibbs." Whelan shrugs.

"I didn't want him to know either." Jenny sadly answers.

"Could you tell the court why?"

"Besides being my mentor and partner, Agent Gibbs was my lover for two years." "In 2006, after Agent Gibbs was in a coma after an explosion." "I found out through a back ground check that he had a wife and daughter that I didn't know about, when we were partners and lovers." "They were murdered in 1991 after Shannon had witnessed a drug lord murdering a Marine." "A hit was put out on her, so she was put into protective custody with her daughter Kelly by NIS."

"Drug lord found them?" Whelan frowns.

"He took out the NIS Agent that was driving Shannon's van." "Shannon and Kelly were killed instantly in the accident."

"Did this cause Agent Gibbs a lot of pain?" Whelan asks.

"Yes he never told any of his friends, lovers, or colleagues about his first wife and daughter." "His three ex-wives would find out about them later on after Jethro had married them." "He had memento's of the life he shared with them hidden in his basement." Jenny sadly answers.

"How many years were the two of you partners?" Whelan curiously asks.

"Three years, we were lovers for two years." Jenny answers softly.

"And he managed to keep this from you."

"Yes!" Jenny frowns.

"So to keep Agent Gibbs from watching somebody who he was intimately involved with a slow painful death you chose not to tell him." Whelan curiously asks.

"Yes!" Jenny answers and glances over at her husband.

"Was he going to find out the reason?"

"I was writing a journal." "My everyday thoughts and feelings." "I had left instructions in my will for my journal to be sent to Jethro." "I wanted him to remember me, the way I was, the way we were together over in Europe." Jenny smiles.

Behind Whelan's table, Tony whispers in Ziva's ear. "Paris!" He smirks. Gibbs over hearing Tony head slaps him on the back of the head. "Ow!" Tony grimaces in pain and rubs the back of his head.

Back up on the witness stand. "When did you decide to seek a second opinion?" Whelan curiously asks.

"While I was on suspension I had lunch with Captain Todd Gelfand Chief Neurologist at Portsmouth Naval Hospital." Jenny answers softly.

October 2nd 2008

Portsmouth, Virginia

cafe europa

1300 Hours

Jenny and Todd Gelfand are eating lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. "Been almost a year and a half since we've seen each other last." Todd frowns with regret.

"I was doing a dangerous op Todd and I did not want to put you at risk." Jenny answers softly.

"And now that I'm dating." Todd answers and shakes his head.

"Glad you've found somebody, you deserve it." Jenny smiles at him.

Todd reaches over and takes a hold of Jenny's hand on top of the table. "I guess other men have unsuccessfully have tried to get you to settle down." Todd chuckles.

"Once a long time ago I would of considered it Todd, but I had goals that were a priority over love." Jenny sadly answers.

"Did he know?" Todd curiously asks.

"No!" "He got a Dear John Letter in my coat." "I walked away with out a word." "At least I spared you that." Jenny softy says.

"I got an explanation at least." "So what brings you to Portsmouth."

"I need a second opinion on something." Jenny asks.

"Name it!" Todd smiles at her. Jenny hands him a folder on her current medical condition.

Half an hour later

"I could examine you." Todd offers.

"I want this to stay out of the governments knowledge to many people besides Doctor Mallard are already getting suspicious." Jenny requests.

"I could make a phone call and I can get back to you." Todd nods at her.

"I'd appreciate this Todd." Jenny smiles and squeezes his wrist. "And I owe you."

October 3rd 2008

Jenny's Study

1400 Hours

Jenny is standing around watching the FBI searching for her missing gun. Her Blackberry begins to ring. She walks out of the study down the hallway and goes outside. "Shepard!" She answers.

Portsmouth, Virginia

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

Todd's Office

"Jenny its Todd." "I have a friend over at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in London, Doctor Reuben Forbes." Todd smiles.

Jenny breathes in a sigh of relief. "Do you think he can help me?" Jenny asks.

"If anybody can help you it's Reuben." Todd answers smoothly.

Jenny's Office

2000 Hours

Vance is packing up his portfolio on his desk. He puts a toothpick down on the corner of Jenny's desk. "A souvenir!" He smirks and walks away.

Jenny flicks his toothpick from off of her desk and glares over at him. She takes her Father's picture out of her desk drawer and puts it back on the corner of her desk. "I'm sorry that I've given you short notice." Jenny apologizes.

"SecNav said you requested a few weeks off." Vance shrugs.

"I need some time off." Jenny answers softly and sits down behind her desk.

"No problem Jenny, my wife may not be happy with it." Vance snorts.

"Gibbs would have a stroke if he were Acting Director for three weeks." Jenny laughs.

"You'll be leaving at 1800 hours tomorrow night." Vance nods over at her.

"Yes, I'll be headed to Dulles International Airport." "I figure I would go to Europe and catch up with some old friends." Jenny smiles.

"I'll take a red eye out tonight, and fly back out Sunday afternoon." Vance answers and walks off for the door.

"See you in three weeks." Jenny comments dryly. Vance waves at her as he walks out the door.

October 6th 2008

London, England

Royal National Orthopedic Hospital

Jenny's Hospital Room

1400 Hours

Jenny is looking outside her window, when Doctor Forbes walks into the room. "Director Shepard!" He smiles over at her. Jenny turns and looks over at him. "Your lucky I don't take off weekends and Todd and I are such good friends."

"You've looked over my X-rays, MRI's and blood work already." Jenny says with surprise and sits down on her bed.

"As a favor to Todd, yes." "I owe him one." "I have some encouraging news." Forbes smiles over at her.

"I don't have six months to live." Jenny asks.

"You'll have more than that." Forbes answers and walks over to Jenny and shows Jenny her test results. "You have high doses of Thallium poisoning in your blood system." Forbes informs her. Jenny grabs her glasses from the nightstand next to her bed, puts them on, and reads over the report. "Is there somebody out to get you?"

"I'm the Director of NCIS, I have many enemies." Jenny answers sharply and continues to read over the report. "How did Ducky miss this?" Jenny says with surprise.

"Excuse me!" Forbes curiously asks.

Jenny shakes her head and begins to laugh. "I had my medical examiner examine me when I first became ill." "He diagnosed me with MS and gave me originally six months to live and most recently he down graded it to three months." Jenny frowns.

"Ducky!" Forbes laughs.

"His last name is Mallard and he wants all of his close friends and colleagues to call him Ducky." Jenny answers softly.

"I'm going to start treating you for the Thallium poisoning." "I don't know how long you've been poisoned and still don't know how much damage was done to your nervous system." Forbes answers roughly.

"I took a three week leave of absence from work." Jenny nods at him.

"That should be fine." "A week of hospital treatment, two weeks of out patient treatment." Forbes instructs her.

"That's fine, I have some old haunts I would like to revisit." "I was stationed in London for four years." Jenny answers softly.

Half an hour later

Jenny is on the phone with Todd. "I don't know how to thank you Todd." Jenny smiles.

Portsmouth, Virginia

Naval Medical Center Portsmouth

Todd's Office

0930 Hours

"My pleasure Jenny." Todd smiles.

"It feels like a weight has been taken off of my shoulders." Jenny sighs with relief.

"Does he know?" Todd asks.

"Who?" Jenny shrugs.

"Jethro!" Todd answers smoothly.

"No, I didn't tell him and you know why Todd." Jenny answers dryly.

"You going to tell him about this." Todd persists.

"Afterwards, I don't trust the inter workings of NCIS at this time." "I'm going to call Agent Fornell of the FBI as soon as I get off the phone with you." Jenny answers softly.

"You think it's an inside job at NCIS." Todd curiously asks.

"Yes, somebody wants me out and I bet I know who." Jenny bitterly answers.

Washington, DC

FBI Head Quarters

Fornell's Office

Fornell is busy working at his desk, when his cell phone rings. "Fornell!" He answers.

"Fornell, it's Jenny." Jenny softly says.

"No Director Shepard." "I'm shocked Jenny." Fornell chuckles.

"The Director is on leave." Jenny laughs.

"What can I do for you?" Fornell smiles.

"I'm in London?"

"Site seeing!" Fornell grins.

"No I was getting a second opinion." Jenny frowns.

"What for?" Fornell shrugs.

"Ducky diagnosed me with MS." "I flew out to London for a second opinion and they found Thallium in my blood work." Jenny answers sharply.

"Have them send me the results right away." Fornell instructs her.

"And Fornell, keep this between us, I think it's an inside job at NCIS." Jenny orders him.

"Sure it's not the CIA." Fornell sheepishly asks.

"No, I think its Vance." Jenny snaps.

"You sure!" Fornell asks.

"My gut says so." Jenny says and gets up from her bed and looks out the window.

"Does Jethro know?"

"No!" Jenny mutters and rubs her temples. "I want him kept in the dark about this."

"You sure!" Fornell questions.

"Positive!" Jenny comments firmly.

"He's going to be pissed off at me from keeping this from him." Fornell groans in protest.

"He'll get over it." Jenny hisses.

"Have the hospital send us the test results and I'll get back to you." Fornell smoothly says.

"I will, talk to you soon Tobias." Jenny smiles.

"Goodbye Jenny!" Fornell nods and hangs up.

Present Time

"When did you get in touch with Agent Fornell again?" Whelan asks.

"Seventy Two hours later after the FBI could go over my records." Jenny answers dryly.

"And what did Agent Fornell say to you?" Whelan asks.

"He was starting to tail Vance's movements." Jenny answers.

"What made you think it was Vance?" Whelan sheepishly asks.

"My gut, I've always had a bad feeling about him and this was before I got shot in the Czech Republic." "And also there were some rumblings that former NCIS Director Tom Morrow was about to appoint Leon as the next NCIS Director after he stepped down." Jenny answers firmly.

"You were picked instead." Whelan smiles.

"Yes!" "I work well with politics and NCIS was always on the bottom scraping for left over funding, over the other Federal Armed Agencies." "So I was chosen instead."

"He was unhappy that you were appointed." Whelan asks.

"Objection speculation on the witness' part." Hargrove shouts.

"Sustained!" Flaherty nods over to Whelan.

"When you came back to Washington, what happened?" Whelan asks.

"I had an appointment with Agent Fornell, that Monday morning." Jenny answers dryly.

"Did Assistant Director Vance go back to San Diego?" Whelan asks.

"No, he had some business that week in New York." Jenny bitterly answers.

"What did Agent Fornell do when he came into your office?" Whelan sheepishly asks.

"The FBI took my coffee and sugar into evidence, along with everything in the bar in my office." Jenny answers softly.

"Did Agent Gibbs and his team see this?" Whelan asks.

"No, they were out of town and I also sent my assistant out on an errand, so nobody would notice the items being taken from my office."

"Did he get back to you on the test results?" Whelan asks.

"Wednesday he did and Fornell told me that my coffee and brandy canter had low amounts of Thallium in it." Jenny answers.

"What was Fornell going to do about it?" Whelan asks.

"He had a team of agents following Vance in New York and had his cell phone tapped."

"Any important calls." Whelan curiously asks.

"Yes, one with CIA Agent Trent Kort." "Trent Kort had threatened to kill me a year before that in full view of Agent Gibbs' team." Jenny snaps.

"It could have been about business." Whelan shrugs.

"NCIS did not have any on going missions with the CIA." "I had none authorized at that time and Leon could not do one with out my knowledge." Jenny answers sharply.

"Why did Agent Kort threaten to kill you?" Whelan curiously asks.

"I was working on an investigation that had messed up his undercover op." "Kort and the CIA weren't to happy with me." Jenny smirks.

"Any other calls." Whelan inquires.

"At that time no." "I had received a phone call from an NCIS Agent in Los Angeles that retired NCIS Special Agent Will Decker had died of a heart attack." Jenny frowns.

"When was his funeral?"

"Friday, October 31st." Jenny sadly answers.

"When did you fly out?" Whelan asks.

"Thursday evening." "I took Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and Officer Ziva David, my Mossad Liaison Officer with me as my Protection Detail for Agent Decker's funeral."

"Agent Gibbs?" Whelan sheepishly asks.

"Back in Washington as Acting Director." "I didn't see the need to bring Vance in for forty-eight hours." Jenny sighs.

"But he knew you were away." Whelan asks.

"I later learned that Agent Brett Langer tipped him off via an e-mail that I was away and while I was gone." "Leon conveniently took my place in Washington, because he knew that Gibbs does not like filling in as Acting Director."

"What happened at Agent Decker's funeral?" Whelan asks.

"I spotted somebody I thought was dead." Jenny frowns.

"Who?" Whelan asks.

"Nikolai Tarasov!"

"Was he of importance?" Whelan asks.

"Him and his fiancée Slvetlana were part of a highly classified mission that Agent Gibbs, Decker, Vance, and myself were conducting in Paris, France back in March of 1999." "I'm still not a liberty to divulge information on it." Jenny answers dryly.

"What was your assignment with out giving away the parameters of your mission?" Whelan asks.

"I was suppose to put a hit on Slvetlana, with Decker as back up." Jenny answers.

"Under whose orders." Whelan asks.

"Agent Gibbs!"

"Did you go through with it?"

"No!' Jenny frowns and looks over at her husband. "I had just had my first kill a month before that." "It emotionally devastated me."

"And you were not ready to take a life in cold blood." Whelan asks.

"No!" "It's one thing where I had to defend my life, or to defend the life of one of my colleagues is another story." Jenny sadly answers.

"Did you tell this to Agent Gibbs?" Whelan asks.

"No, I had second thoughts when I showed up at my assassination attempt." "Will was with me."

"Where was the hit suppose to be at?" Whelan asks.

"Outside of Nikolai's apartment building, I was suppose to take her down soon as she stepped out of the apartment." Jenny answers sharply.

"And what happened?" Whelan asks.

Paris, France

March 27th 1999

Outside of Nikolai's apartment building

0800 Hours

Decker is in his car watching over Jenny as she stands on the street corner dressed in a black leather jack and mini skirt with matching six-inch thigh high leather boots. Drooling over Jenny's butt. "You look good dressed as a prostitute, you think Gibbs would approve of your outfit." Decker smirks into his COM.

"Definitely not, he would have a stroke." Jenny sighs.

Decker shakes his head and begins to laugh. He notices Slvetlana coming out the door. "The subject is approaching." He warns her. Jenny waits for Slvetlana to walk around the corner, and then slowly follows her. Decker starts up his car and keeps his distance from them. Noting the park across the street. "I think she's headed towards the park."

Inside The Park

Slvetlana sits down on a bench. Jenny hides in the bushes several feet away from her and takes out her gun with a silencer on it from her pocketbook. Decker watches near a fountain, noting Jenny's indecision. Slvetlana opens up a newspaper and begins to read. Jenny suddenly has a flashback from a month ago when she had killed an armed gunman outside a jewelry store. The lifeless expression on the gunman's face replays over and over again in her mind. Suddenly a ball rolls by the bench. Slvetlana notices and picks it up. "I get it!" She smiles at the litter girl as she approaches her bench.

"Thank you!" The child says to Slvetlana in French.

"Your welcome!" "What's your name?" Slvetlana asks in French.

"Victoria!" The child smiles.

Jenny panic's and quickly runs off. Decker begins to chase after her. "Shepard!" He calls out to her through his COM.

Nikolai sadly approaches his fiancée. Slvetlana hands Victoria her ball and watches the child rush off. Nikolai bends over and whispers in Slvetlana's ear. "No!" Slvetlana screams.

In behind some tree's a distance away. Jenny is on her knees throwing up in a bush. Decker approaches her from behind. Jenny turns and breaks down in Decker's arms. "I told Gibbs you weren't ready for this, he wouldn't listen to me." Decker snaps and holds Jenny tightly in his arms.

An hour later

At a cafe

"Hopefully Slvetlana and Nikolai are high tailing it back to Russia, the way Slvetlana was screaming." Decker nods at her. Jenny looks out the window with a blank expression on her face. "Gibbs was to put a hit out on Slvetlana's Father, Grigoryi." Decker answers then suddenly remembers that Nikolai is still alive. "And Vance was suppose to take out Nikolai." Decker says with surprise.

"How am I going to tell him I failed?" Jenny tearfully answers.

"He'll never know Jenny." Decker answers and grabs a hold of her hands.

"I can't lie to him." Jenny answers with her voice trembling.

"It will be our little secret." "And just incase something should ever happen to either one of us the code word for this will be Mr. Oshimida." Decker says and tenderly strokes her cheek.

NCIS Headquarters Paris

1700 Hours

Jenny sits at her desk with a blank expression on her face. Gibbs walks in with Vance. Decker sit at his desk and watches Gibbs and Vance approach Gibbs' desk. "I'll check in with Director Morrow." Vance nods at Gibbs.

"First thing is first." "How was the mission?" Gibbs glances over at Decker.

"Successful!" "Yours!" Decker asks.

"I got him walking out of a café." "He didn't see it coming." Gibbs smirks.

"Shepard got hers in the park." Decker answers roughly.

"Paris cops won't report this kind of stuff to the press." "In a way I'm glad." Gibbs answers smoothly, looks over at Jenny, and notices how quiet she is. "Jen you alright." He asks and walks over to her desk.

Jenny gets up from her desk. "I'm going for coffee." She numbly answers and walks over for the elevator.

"Check in with Morrow." Gibbs nods over at Vance. Vance walks over to the eye scanner and scans himself into MTAC. Gibbs baffled by Jenny's behavior continues to watch her as she waits over at the elevator doors.

Decker gets up from his desk and approaches. Gibbs. "I told you she wasn't ready for this yet Gibbs." Decker bitterly snaps at him. "Shepard had her first kill last month."

"She has to get it out of her system some how Will." Gibbs growls.

"By assassinating somebody." Decker says in disbelief.

"You leave my partner to me Decker and keep your techno to yourself." "She'll be fine." Gibbs barks at him.

Over at the elevator, Jenny numbly steps inside the elevator over hearing Gibbs and Decker's conversation. "I'm not you Jethro." Jenny frowns and breaks down and cries as the doors to the elevator begin to close.

Gibbs and Jenny's Apartment

Inside the bedroom

2300 Hours

Gibbs quietly climbs into bed. He touches his lover's naked body under the covers. Jenny with her back facing towards him is not in the mood to make love. "I'm not in the mood to make love Jethro." Jenny frowns.

"You better get this out of your system Jen and quick." "You can't have a conscious and be able to do the work that we're assigned to do." Gibbs bitterly says.

"I'm not like you Jethro, you were a Marine sniper." "I did not become an NCIS Agent to kill people in cold blood." Jenny coldly answers.

Gibbs pulls Jenny into his arms. "I can't have you second guessing a direct order from me." "You were ordered to put a hit on Slvetlana and there will be no more discussion about it." "We have one more op, hopefully by June, Morrow will send us back to DC." Gibbs smiles and begins to rub his lovers back. "I want you to start thinking about moving in with me permanently."

"I don't know Jethro." Jenny sighs and buries her face up against his chest.

"We've been sharing a bed for over a year Jen." "You think I'm going to be damned if we'll be going back to the same arrangement, yours and my place when we get back home." Gibbs growls in frustration. He pulls Jenny's face up so that he can look into her eyes. "I love you and I want you with me." Gibbs softly says and kisses her on the mouth. Jenny quickly gives in, as his kiss becomes more demanding. Gibbs rolls on top of Jenny and slowly begins his mastery of his lover's body with his mouth.

June 11th 1999

Paris Restaurant

Decker's Leaving Party

2200 Hours

"Sunny California here I come." Decker smirks over at Gibbs.

"You can have it." Gibbs snorts.

"Did you and Mike use to go fishing a lot in the Pacific?" Decker asks.

"That was Mexico on a beach in Baja." Gibbs answers smoothly.

"Supervisory Agent to the Special Projects Team in Los Angeles." Decker grins.

"Wonder what Pacci is doing?" Gibbs shrugs.

"Still running your team back at Head Quarters in Washington." Decker answers.

Gibbs glares over at Vance is sucking up with Director Morrow. "Another two weeks, Jen and I can get away from him." Gibbs growls in protest.

"I can't believe he put a hit on Tarasov." Decker says in disbelief.

"Car bomb no less." Gibbs chuckles.

"So where are you and Jenny headed to now?" Decker asks.

"Washington and I hope it's permanent." "I've had enough of the European Op's." Gibbs mutters.

"Admit it you miss your boat." Decker laughs.

"Haven't worked on her much in the past two years." Gibbs shrugs.

"Been busy!" Decker answers then looks over at Jenny as she's talking with G. Callen. "You two are getting married." Decker curiously asks. Gibbs narrows his eyes over at Decker. "Come on Gibbs you two have been seeing each other for the past two years." "And face it how are you suppose to share a bed with her for a year and not keep your hands off of her." "Jenny has two things going against her that you like." "Red hair and her chest." Decker grins.

"We started seeing each other after the Marseilles Op, in August of '97'." Gibbs smiles.

"Thought it was sooner than that the way you were acting in the hospital when she got wounded that time." Decker shrugs.

"I was in a bitter divorce with Diane, Will and Diane had suspected that we were having an affair." "She would of used that for more money, and would have gotten my house in the divorce." Gibbs growls.

"But you wanted her." Decker smiles.

"For eleven long months." Gibbs sighs in frustration, and then looks over at his lover. "When the divorce became final it took me four months to break her and I seduced her." Gibbs smirks.

"She fight you." Decker grins.

"No, there was nothing to fight." "She wanted me as much as I wanted her." "Besides arguing, making love is as natural a breathing to the two of us." Gibbs chuckles, he notices that Director Morrow is waving him over. "Excuse me." Gibbs nods at Decker and walks off.

Decker walks over to Jenny and Callen. "Jenny, Callen!" Decker smiles at him.

"I see your getting your wish, Team Leader in sunny LA." Callen smirks at him.

"Life is good." Decker answers smoothly.

"I need a refill on my beer." Callen says and walks off.

Decker puts his arm around Jenny's waist and they walk off towards the end of the restaurant. "So your off to Los Angeles." Jenny smiles and takes a sip from her glass of wine.

"Jealous!" Decker gloats at her.

"No, but if it were Honolulu it would have been a different answer." Jenny winks at him.

"You'll get your shot at your own team one day Jenny." "Your too good to be playing Gibbs' second fiddle forever." Decker smiles at her. Jenny sadly glances up at Decker and walks out on to the balcony. Decker follows her. "You had lunch with Morrow today." Decker sheepishly asks.

Jenny walks over to the balcony and begins to look over the city. "I did, at the Ritz." She answers with her voice choked with emotion.

"He offered you your own team." Decker smiles at her.

"Madrid!" "I have a week to answer him." Jenny softly answers.

"You would be a fool to pass up an opportunity like that Jenny." Decker chastises her.

"Problem is, this fool-" Jenny quickly stops herself.

"Is in love with her boss." Decker finishes for her. Jenny nods and begins to cry. "The two of you could work it out." Decker suggests.

Jenny turns and faces him. "He wants me to move in with him when we get back to DC." "Jethro's answer will be no, Will." Jenny sadly answers.

"I didn't know it was this serious between the two of you." Decker frowns.

"I love him, and this is tearing me apart." Jenny cries.

"So you are going to take the job offer." Decker asks.

"Yes, falling in love with Gibbs, was never part of my five point plan." Jenny says with a hint of determination in her voice.

Decker glances over towards the inside of the restaurant and notices that Gibbs is looking for Jenny. "Gibbs is looking for you." Decker warns her.

Jenny trying to compose herself. "I'm a mess!" She sniffs.

Decker pulls Jenny into his arms and hugs her. "And remember the code word, Mr. Oshimida." He whispers in her ear.

Gibbs walks out and finds Jenny in tears. "Making my partner cry Decker." Gibbs barks.

Decker pulls away. "Jenny felt it would be better to have an emotional farewell, out of sight." Decker smiles and walks back inside the restaurant with Gibbs and Jenny. Unknown to Jenny and Decker, Vance was sitting in the corner listening in on their entire conversation.

Present Time

"Agent Decker wrote in his report, that you had shot and killed Slvetlana." Whelan asks.

"Yes!" Jenny sadly answers.

"And Agent Gibbs never knew of this?" Whelan asks.

"No, Decker covered everything up." "At the time we thought that we were in the clear, because Vance had told Gibbs that he had assassinated Tarasov via a car bomb."

"But he wasn't."

"I saw him at Decker's funeral." "I took a picture of him with my cell and sent it to Abby Scuito my Forensic Scientist back at NCIS in Washington to verify the photo for me." "Afterwards, Sasha, Decker's girlfriend had approached me."

October 31st 2008

Los Angeles, California

Cemetery

1300 Hours PST

Attending retired NCIS Special Agent William Decker's funeral, Jenny spots Nikolai Tarasov in with the crowd. She picks up her Blackberry and takes several photos of him. Sasha Gordon, Decker's fiancée' walks over to Jenny. "You wouldn't be Jenny Shepard by any chance." Sasha softly asks.

"Yes I am I was on Will's team over in Europe." "You have my deepest sympathies." Jenny says with regret and squeezes Sasha's hand.

"Will was in excellent shape for his age." Sasha frowns.

"You don't think it was a heart attack." Jenny curiously asks.

"No!" "And he told me, if anything should happen to him that looked suspicious, to get in touch with you and to give you a message."

"And what was the message." Jenny sheepishly asks.

"Mr. Oshimida!" Sasha answers softly. Jenny's looks on in stunned silence. "Will has an insurance policy back at the house." "I'll be waiting for you back at Will's house." Sasha says and hands Jenny her address. "Tomorrow morning."

"I'll be there at nine o'clock." Jenny nods at her. Sasha walks over to the Funeral Director. Jenny stares down at the piece of paper.

Present Time

"Did Miss Scuito get back to you?" Whelan asks.

"Yes, I had sent Abby the photo the next morning." "I knew she would be in early and Gibbs usually doesn't go into her lab at 0700 hours with out his coffee."

"When did she get back to you?" Whelan asks.

"That afternoon, after I had met up with Mike Franks." Jenny answers firmly.

"Could you tell the court who Mike Franks is."

"He's a retired NCIS Special Agent." "He was Gibbs' first partner and his boss for four years." "Mike retired in June of 1995 and moved to Mexico." Jenny answers softly.

"Why did you call him?" Whelan curiously asks.

"I needed back up." "And at the time, the only person that Gibbs told me that he trusted with his life on the line was Mike Franks."

"Did you involve Agent DiNozzo or Officer David?" Whelan asks.

"No, I didn't want to put their lives on the line." Jenny frowns and glances over at Tony.

"Back to Mike Franks, when did you call him?"

"Friday evening, Sasha, Decker's girlfriend had invited me over to Decker's house, said he had an insurance policy to give me, in the event of his death."

October 31st 2008

Baja, Mexico

Cantina

1800 Hours PST

Mike is sitting at the bar when the phone rings. The Bartender answers the phone. "Si, one moment." He answers and hands Mike the phone. "Senor Franks, telephone."

"Blasted Probie, calling me." Mike growls in protest and takes the phone from the bartender. "Interrupting my Cantina time again Probie." Mike snarls.

"No Director Shepard is." Jenny smirks.

"Probie in the hospital again." Mike mutters.

"No!" Jenny answers softly.

"Then why are you bugging me?" Mike barks.

"Because you're the only one that I can trust." Jenny frowns.

"Can't trust Probie." Mike sheepishly asks.

"No, not on this one." "As a favor could you fly out to Los Angeles tomorrow morning, I'll pay for your ticket." Jenny asks.

"Its urgent!" Mike curiously asks.

"Life or death." Jenny answers sharply.

"For Probie or for you." Mike asks and lights up a cigarette.

"If something should happen to me, Jethro will be at risk." Jenny answers firmly.

"What time you heading out to LA?" Mike asks between puffs of his cigarette.

"I'm already here." "I had to attend the funeral of retired Special Agent Will Decker." Jenny sadly answers.

"He worked on a team in San Diego, I crossed paths with him on an investigation when he was a Probationary Status Agent." Mike shrugs.

"He was a good man and a damn good agent." "He worked with Jethro and I over in Europe, he was on our team."

"I'll take a flight in and I should be in LA by 0700 hours." Mike smoothly says.

"I'll give you an address to meet me at?" Jenny answers softly.

"Aren't you under Protection Detail." Mike sheepishly asks.

"DiNozzo is on it." "Point a blonde in his direction and he'll be easy to lose for the day." "Ziva will be harder for me to lose." Jenny mutters.

"I got away from DiNozzo back in Washington when he was assigned to my Protection Detail." "He is easy to get away from." "But the Israeli may be a problem your right." "I'll call you when I arrive in LA I have a cheap cell phone that I use for emergencies." Mike comments roughly.

"I'll give you the number for my cell phone." "And Mike!"

"Yes!" Mike snorts.

"Thank you!" Jenny smiles.

"For Jethro's lady friend, anything." Mike smiles.

Present Time

"You lost your Protection Detail." Whelan asks.

"Yes, after breakfast." Jenny answers softly.

November 1st 2008

Hyatt Regency Century City

Pool Side

0800 Hours

Tony is lounging in his chair drooling over Ziva in her white bikini as she lies in contentment on her lounge chair. Tony picks up his digital camera and begins to take several photos of Ziva. Jenny is sitting near by reading her book. "Come on Director, lighten up." "No bikini for you." Tony smirks at her.

"Don't have the time." "I was taking a few minutes to myself, before I head to my room to do paper work." Jenny answers dryly.

"It's a beautiful sunny day and your heading to your room to do paper work, let's go sight seeing." Tony grins at her.

Jenny gets up from her chair and smiles over at Tony. "Been there, done that Tony." "But why should that stop the two of you from going out." "Enjoy the day." Jenny softly says. "Our flight for Washington isn't until 2200 hours."

"We're suppose to be here on Protection Detail." Ziva sighs in protest.

"Tony, I believe Ziva is the one who needs to lighten up." Jenny laughs, and then glances over at Ziva. "I'll be fine Ziva." Jenny smiles and walks off.

Tony stands up and takes several photos of Ziva as she seductively poses for him on the lounge. "Hear that boss lady wants us to have some fun in the sun today." Tony smirks.

Ziva glances off in the direction that Jenny walked off in and has an uneasy feeling about leaving Jenny by herself. "After I get my laps in Tony." Ziva answers softly and gets up from her lounge chair. She walks over to the pool and dives in headfirst.

Decker's House

0830 Hours

Jenny pulls up in front of Decker's house and spots Mike walking over to her car. She rolls the window down. Mike leans in through the window. "What's this all about?" He roughly asks.

"Get in my car and I'll explain it to you." Jenny nods at him.

0855 Hours

"And now they're after you and Jethro." Mike sheepishly asks.

"Yes, Jethro killed Slvetlana's Father Grigoryi Vasilyev." "Vasilyev was a Russian Arms Dealer and Drug Lord that we were investigating over in Paris nine years ago." Jenny answers firmly.

"Why now?" Mike shrugs.

"I have my suspicions." Jenny mutters.

Mike glances over at Decker's house and spots Sasha retrieving the morning paper. "That Decker's gal." Mike asks.

"Yes, Sasha Gordon."

"Damn she's young." Mike drools.

"Twenty!" Jenny smiles.

"And Decker is in his early fifties." "Even Jethro couldn't pick up a twenty year old." Mike chuckles.

"A twenty year old woman isn't interested in hanging out in his basement watching him sand his boat." Jenny laughs.

"You found it interesting." Mike winks at her.

"Unlike the twenty year old, I had Jethro doing other things inside and out of his boat." Jenny smirks and gets out of her car and walks off for Decker's house.

Mike sits in stunned silence for a moment, and then gets out of the car. Before he chases after Jenny, Mike grins down at Jenny's butt, noting the tight jeans that she's wearing. "You should stay out of that suit more often." Mike drools inwardly and rushes over to Jenny. "Sorry Director, can't I can't follow up on that one." Mike cackles.

"Jethro wouldn't of either, Mike." Jenny laughs and walks over to Sasha.

"Right on time." Sasha smiles at her and walks off for the front door with Jenny and Mike following behind her. "I'll go get it." Sasha nods and walks off.

Mike glances around Decker's house, noting the expensive furniture and electronics through out the house. "I couldn't afford a joint like this on my retired NCIS salary." Mike grumbles.

"That's because Will with his charm and looks, married an older woman." Jenny chuckles.

"What she kick the bucket?" Mike snickers.

"No, she forgot to sign a prenuptial agreement with Will before she married him." 'Decker got half of her money in the divorce settlement." Jenny smirks.

"Bout time a man got something out of it." Mike laughs.

Sasha returns from the bedroom. She hands Jenny a key and an address. "Will had just bought an old diner that he was going to renovate." "Here's the address."

Mike takes the piece of paper from Jenny's hand and studies the address. "It's in the middle of no where." Mike groans in protest.

Jenny grabs Sasha by the arm and walks her off to the side. "I want you to get far away from this house." "They'll come after you next." Jenny warns her.

"I could stay at my parents place in Big Bear for a few weeks." Sasha answers softly.

Jenny hands Sasha her car keys. "And I want you to take my car." Jenny instructs her.

Outside

Half an hour later

Jenny is standing by the driver's side door of her rental car putting Sasha's parents phone number in her jacket pocket. "I'll call you tonight." Jenny nods down at Sasha.

Sasha glances up at Jenny. "I hope you find what ever Will left for you." She smiles at Jenny and gets inside the car.

"Be careful!" Jenny warns her.

"I will!" Sasha softly answers and pulls away from the curb.

Jenny walks over to Mike's car, opens up the front passenger door, and gets inside. "Mojave Desert, pretty this time of the year." Mike muses and starts up his car. Jenny quietly looks out the window, her failure in Paris has cost a cherished friends life and now her life and Gibbs' lives are in the balance.

Present Time

"When did you arrive?" Whelan asks.

"An hour later." Jenny answers.

Mojave Desert

Old Abandoned Diner

1030 Hours

Mike pulls up in front of the diner. "He was going to waste money on this dump." Mike says in disgust. Jenny gets out of the car and takes in her surroundings. Mike gets out and lights up a cigarette.

Jenny walks over to the front door with Mike following her. She tries to use the key on the lock. "Will must have changed the lock." Jenny answers dryly, gets down on her knee, takes something out of her jacket pocket, and starts to pick the lock.

Mike looks on in amazement as Jenny successfully picks the lock. "Did Gibbs teach you that?" Mike chuckles.

Jenny stands up and looks over at Mike. "Gibbs didn't teach, you observed." She answers sharply and opens the door and steps inside. Mike stands near the doorway looking at Jenny. The very words he told Gibbs when he trained him as a Probationary Status Agent, Gibbs passed down on to his agents.

Present Time

"In the diner what did you do?" Whelan asks.

"We looked for Decker's insurance policy." "After going through several boxes I noticed some photos on the back wall of the diner." "They were photos with dates in them." "One was of Decker's going away party in Paris." "The dates didn't match up to the pictures." Jenny answers dryly.

"Did it mean anything to you?" Whelan asks.

"Yes, Will and I used the same method over in Europe when we would send information back and forth to one another." Jenny answers softly.

"What did the numbers mean?" Whelan asks.

"At the time I did not know, but later Mike Franks instead of flying home to Mexico." "He went to Washington to the look up an old NCIS case file in our archives room." Jenny answers firmly.

"Decker's insurance policy was a case file." Whelan sheepishly asks.

"No, the insurance policy was in the old case file."

"Did you read it?" Whelan asks.

"Recently I did." "Mike was hiding it in Mexico until the trial."

Whelan approaches the bench. "People's exhibit thirty your honor." Whelan nods over at her, then approaches Jenny and holds up the file. "Can you tell the court what's in the file?"

"Vance was working for Slvetlana's Father Grigoryi Vasilyev." "Gibbs couldn't figure out why Vasilyev was always one step ahead of us." "Because Vance would tell him what we were doing." "And there are other Arms and Drug Dealer's that Vance was on the take with, besides Vasilyev." Jenny bitterly answers.

"How did Nikolai found out about Agent Decker?" Whelan asks.

"Vance and Kort both wanted me out of the way." "I guess my Thallium poisoning was going way to slow for Vance's liking," "So after I was reinstated as NCIS Director, Vance and Kort got together." "I guess Vance filled in Kort the details of my failure in Paris, back in March of '99' and that somebody desperately wanted both me and Agent Gibbs out of the way." Jenny answers sharply.

"These documents would of ended Assistant Director Vance's career." Whelan surmises.

"Yes, Will had everything on him." Jenny nods.

"Back to the diner." "What did you and Mike Franks do after you wrote down the numbers." Whelan asks.

"I got a phone call from Abby telling me that Viggo Dratnyev was really Nikolai Tarasov." "She found a record of a Viggo Dratnyev and his wife Natasha entering customs at LAX from a flight from Moscow a week before Decker was murdered."

"Any location on them." Whelan asks.

"I had asked Abby to get some photos of Nikolai and Slvetlana arriving in customs and had her send them to Tony and Ziva" Jenny answers.

November 1st 2008

Washington, DC

NCIS Head Quarters

Abby's Lab

1355 Hours

Abby is on the phone with Jenny. "Who's the blonde?" Abby curiously asks.

Mojave Desert, California

Inside the diner

1055 Hours

"Somebody that shouldn't be alive." Jenny sarcastically answers. "Send those photos to Tony and Ziva." "And Abby I want you to delete the photo trace." Jenny instructs her.

"Are you sure Director?" Abby asks.

"Yes, and it's an order Abby." Jenny answers and hangs up. She pushes in the speed dial button for Ziva's cell phone number on her Blackberry.

Tony and Ziva are enjoying the beautiful sunny California weather. Tony drives his red Mustang convertible down Sunset Boulevard. "I'm going to take you on a sight seeing tour." Tony says with a smile.

"We should be back at the hotel, looking after the Director Tony." Ziva says.

"Come on Ziva, she told us to enjoy the day." "Live a little for once." Tony smirks.

Ziva is about to answer Tony, when her cell phone begins to ring. "David!" She answers.

"I just had Abby send a photo to both your cell phone's, of a woman named Slvetlana, she's over at the Marriott Hotel at LAX and I need the two of you to follow her." Jenny says as she's looking out a dusty window of an old diner, with Mike Franks standing next to her listening in.

Alarmed that Jenny is working on an op by herself with out them watching over her. "What about you, we're suppose to be protecting you." Ziva chastises Jenny.

Mike quickly grabs Jenny's Blackberry away from her. "What am I chop liver, now do as your told." He grumbles at Ziva.

Jenny pulls her Blackberry away from Mike. "Am I making my orders clear Officer David?"

Ziva looks over at her partner, and then answers Jenny. "Yes Director." Ziva reluctantly answers.

"Call me when you have something." Jenny instructs her and hangs up.

"Jenny isn't alone, Mike Franks is with her." Ziva sighs with relief.

"What does she want us to do?" Tony curiously asks.

"Abby sent a photo to our cell phone, she wants us to follow her at the Marriott Hotel, by the airport." Ziva sighs

Tony finds a place to park, so that he can look over the photo on his cell phone. As Tony looks at the photo. "Should we call Gibbs on it?" Tony sheepishly asks.

Ziva is torn at going against Jenny's direct order. "My gut is telling me to, but I don't think we should disobey a direct order."

"I'm going to give her until sunset, then I'm calling Gibbs up for some answers." Tony pulls out of his parking spot and drives off.

Present Time

"Then what happened?" Whelan asks.

"I got a phone call from Nikolai on Sasha's cell phone." Jenny frowns.

Mojave Desert

Jenny's Blackberry begins to ring. "Shepard!" She answers.

Venice Beach

Nikolai is standing on a pier glancing down on the beach at Sasha Gordon's lifeless body. "Sasha didn't make it to her parents house Director Shepard." Nikolai laughs and walks over to his black Jeep Cherokee. "I'm coming after you." He warns her.

"You know where to find me." "It ends here." Jenny snaps and hangs up. "Sasha's dead." Jenny grimly answers and sits down at a table.

Mike puts his foot up on a chair, takes out a six-shooter from his ankle, and hands it over to Jenny. "Here, you'll need a clean one." Mike smiles at her.

"I want you to leave Mike, this started because of my failure and I end it." Jenny instructs him.

"I'm not going any where Jenny." Mike smoothly says and lights up a cigarette.

Present Time

"You get rid of Mike." Whelan asks.

"Yes an hour after Nikolai had called, I said to Mike that would love a cup of tea?" Jenny shakes her head and begins to laugh. "Mike said it sounded like a good idea." "I never would of thought that Mike would be a tea drinker." "The water was shut off, so Mike went out back to the water tower to get some water."

"When did they show up?" Whelan asks.

"Two minutes later." "I positioned myself in front of the counter." "There were four of them." "I got the first two soon as they came in the door." Jenny answers sharply.

Inside the diner

Two gunmen enter the diner with automatic rifles; Jenny fires at them killing them instantly. Gunman number three enters and fires his rifle at Jenny hitting her in the left arm. She takes cover behind a table. The gunman takes position over near the window. Jenny fires several rounds killing him instantly. She gets up holding her left arm, glances at the three lifeless bodies, and notices that Nikolai isn't one of the gunmen.

Present Time

"Then what happened?" Whelan asks.

Behind the Whelan's table, Gibbs nods at his wife to encourage her to continue with her testimony. Jenny takes in a deep breath before answering Whelan's question. "Nikolai came in from the back door." "I never heard him come in." "I heard the shot and felt this burning sensation in the back of my right shoulder." "I fell to the ground face forward." Jenny answers with her voice trembling.

"You heard the foot steps." Whelan asks.

"Yes!" Jenny answers with her voice cracking trying to fight off the urge to cry on the witness stand.

Inside the diner

Jenny is lying on the floor. Nikolai approaches her, kneels beside her on the floor, and holds his gun up against the back of Jenny's head. "Regards from Slvetlana since you never completed your mission in Paris." Nikolai smirks and is about to pull the trigger when a gunshot goes off in the back sending him to the floor.

Present Time

"I was barely conscious, I heard Mike's foot steps, a few gun shots." "I guess he wanted to make sure they were dead." "Then he rushed over to me, muttering something about not hearing the end of it from Jethro, if something should happen to me." "Next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital in ICU."

November 3rd 2008

UCLA Medical Center

ICU

Jenny's Room

1200 Hours

Jenny is trying to regain consciousness; the feeling of a bullet entering the back of her shoulder awakens her. Trying to focus in on her surroundings, Jenny hears the sound of the machines in her hospital room and finds Gibbs sleeping soundly on top of her left shoulder, clutching on to her hand in his sleep.

Present Time

"I woke up to the sound of the machines and took in my surroundings." Jenny softly says.

"Anything familiar." Whelan smiles.

"My partner fast asleep at my bedside." "When I was wounded in the Czech Republic, Jethro was by my side when I woke up." Jenny smiles over at her husband. "Only thing is he was awake back then, I guess the caffeine couldn't keep him awake any longer." Jenny shakes her head and begins to laugh "Then I glanced over near the window and Abby was also keeping a vigil at my bedside." Jenny softly says.

Jenny's Hospital Room

Abby instantly bolts up from her chair and shakes Gibbs. "She's awake!" Abby quickly rushes out of the room.

Gibbs looks up into Jenny's green eyes. "I thought I lost you." Gibbs buries his face against her shoulder and openly sobs.

Present Time

"The nurse and Ducky came into the room." "The nurse checked over my vitals and while she was doing that I noticed Jethro's team standing outside, minus McGee watching." "The Doctor arrived and wanted to examine me, Jethro was being his usual difficult self, when he was asked to leave my room." Jenny laughs.

Behind Whelan's table, Tony chuckles over at Gibbs as he gives his wife a dirty look. "You were being difficult boss." Tony whispers.

Back on the stand, Whelan continues to question Jenny. "What did the Doctor say?" Whelan curiously asks.

"That I was going to be weak for about a month from the blood loss." "And I was going to be in ICU for another twenty four hours, before I was moved to a regular room." Jenny answers dryly.

"What happened once you got moved to a regular room?" Whelan asks.

"My identity was changed." "They kept my room going in ICU." "Agent Fornell, Gibbs, and DiNozzo were feeding false information to Vance." "Fornell was aware that Vance was a suspect in my poisoning investigation and Mike told him, that I felt he was responsible for Slvetlana going after me." "The FBI had full authority over my assassination attempt." "That night, Ziva was in my bed over at ICU, when Agent Lee dressed as a nurse with a silencer on her gun, came in to finish the job on me." "Little did Michelle know it was a set up to arrest her?"

"Agent Lee tried to assassinate you, why?" Whelan asks.

"When she was over at FBI Head Quarters in Los Angeles in the interrogation room when I called on Jethro's cell phone and spoke with Michelle."

November 4th 2008

FBI Head Quarters Los Angeles

Interrogation Room

2200 Hours

Phone rings in the Interrogation Room.

Fornell picks up the phone and answers it. "Fornell!" He pauses for a minute. "Yes Director, she's right here to speak to you." Fornell holds the phone up for Michelle. "Or do you want this on speaker phone?" Michelle gets up from her chair and takes the phone from Fornell.

Ziva is another phone line in the room. "Director she's all yours?" She says with a grin.

"I have one question for you Agent Lee, why?" Jenny angrily asks her.

Stunned to hear Jenny's voice on the phone. "Vance told me you were going to die anyway." She mumbles softly

"Still didn't answer my question, why are you involved with Vance?" Jenny angrily asks Michelle.

Michelle breaks down into tears. "They kidnapped my daughter." She sobs.

Angry with Vance. "Put Fornell back on the phone." Jenny fumes

Sobbing, Michelle hands Fornell back the phone, and returns to her chair at the table, burying her face into the table.

"Yes Director!" Fornell asks

Jenny sits up in he chair, pissed off that Vance and Kort would use a child to get what they want. "I want him hung!" She angrily orders Fornell.

Trying to calm Jenny down. "We're close to getting the evidence on him." Fornell reassures her.

Getting impatient from being cooped up in her hospital room. "I want to be there when he's arrested, I should be released with in the next forty-eight hours." She informs Fornell.

Present Time

"Michelle cooperated with the FBI." "She called Vance back in Washington to let him know that the job was done." "Agent DiNozzo made another call a short while later to inform Vance that somebody had put a hit on me in my hospital room." "With Vance and Kort believing that I was dead, we put our plan into motion, by sending McGee back to Washington to spy on Vance." "We figured that, besides Michelle, that Vance had another person working as his mole." Jenny firmly says.

"Vance called back Agent Lee to set up a meeting to get her daughter back." Whelan asks.

"Yes, forty-eight hours and while we waited for Kort to drop off Michelle's daughter, McGee and the FBI in Washington worked on bringing down Vance once and for all." Jenny answers sharply.

"Did McGee figure out who Vance's mole was." Whelan asks.

"Right away." "Agent Langer was acting to suspicious." "He was asking way to many questions about the attempt on my life." Jenny nods.

"And what did Agent McGee do?" Whelan asks.

"Contacted Agent Fornell and then Fornell got a warrant to search Langer's apartment while he was back at NCIS Head Quarters." "McGee and another FBI agent searched the apartment."

"Did the find anything?" Whelan shrugs.

"Yes, Thallium powder in his apartment and McGee found evidence on Langer's computer, that linked him with Vance, Kort, and Michelle." Jenny answers dryly.

"Did Langer get arrested?" Whelan asks.

"That night he did." "McGee and Special Agent Wagner arrested him, at his apartment." "The next day, I was released from the hospital and I was at the drop off for Michelle's daughter."

November 6th 2008

Harbor in Los Angeles

1400 Hours

Michelle is alone and nervously looking for her daughter. Kort walks over to Michelle. "Your daughter is over in the car." He points over at warehouse. Michelle rushes over to the car and retrieves her daughter. "Go!" Kort orders her. Michelle runs off. Several cars pull up around Kort. Fornell gets out and walks over to him. "Fornell, what are you doing here?" Kort inquires; Gibbs comes up from behind him and slams Kort face first into the ground snapping his wrist back. "Agent Gibbs, so sorry to hear about the demise of your girlfriend." Kort laughs

Gibbs applies more pressure to Kort's wrist. "Wrong Kort!" He growls angrily.

Grimacing in pain. "The CIA will get me out of this." Kort groans

Jenny steps out of the car, the sound of her heels click against the pavement. Jenny glares down at Kort. "You were saying Kort!" Jenny smirks at him.

"You don't have my connections." Kort laughs.

"Attempted murder on a Federal Agent, and conspiring to murder a Federal Agent, and kidnapping a minor child, will not get you out of jail." Jenny icily tells him.

"Plus the Federal Agent in question is the Agency Director." Fornell informs him.

Gibbs whispers in Kort's ear. "I told you what would happen." Gibbs snaps Kort's thumb back.

Fornell smirks down at Gibbs as Kort screams in pain. "Gibbs restrain yourself." Fornell warns him. Agent Chapman and several FBI Agents pull Gibbs off of Kort and they haul take him into custody. Jenny stands around and listens to Chapman read Kort his Miranda Rights as he's being handcuffed.

Gibbs puts his arm around Jenny's waist. "One more to go, let's go home." Gibbs smiles at her.

Jenny sighs in relief. "It is going to feel so good to sleep, in my own bed for a change."

"Been about ten years for me." Gibbs says with a smirk.

"Alone Jethro!" She whispers to him.

Fornell laughs at Gibbs' frustrated expression. "You two kids at it again, get back together already, neither one of our agencies can take it any longer." Fornell chuckles and walks off.

Mike stands off watching everybody, his job is done, time to go back home to his shack on the beach. Gibbs walks up to him. "Coming along to DC." He suggests.

"This is where, we part ways Probie, fill me in on the details." Mike hugs Gibbs goodbye and walks over to Jenny.

"Thank you for saving my ass." She says softly.

"It's worth saving." He winks at her. Jenny laughs at him, and kisses Mike on the cheek. Mike smirks over at Gibbs. "See that Probie, I don't have to wait a month to get a kiss from her." Mike laughs and walks off.

Jenny glares over at Gibbs. "What did you tell him?" She hisses at him angrily.

Present Time

"Unknown to Jethro and I, Mike was on his way to Washington, to retrieve Decker's Insurance Policy." Jenny answers roughly.

"When did you find out about it?" Whelan asks.

"When I was in Mexico last August." Jenny answers.

August 31st 2009

Baja, Mexico

1130 PST

Mike is driving Jenny into town. "So you going to fill me in on Decker's insurance policy." Jenny sheepishly asks him.

"When I testify at your trial." Mike answers roughly.

"Not even a hint." Jenny says in exasperation.

"Not until your trial." Mike repeats, and then quickly changes the subject. "Any place in particular you want to shop at?"

"Boutique will do just fine." Jenny smiles.

"There are a few lady stores in town." Mike smirks.

"Would be a waste to buy lingerie for Jethro." Jenny laughs.

"Why is that?" Mike snorts.

"It wouldn't stay on my body for very long." Jenny mischievously grins.

Mike stops at a four way stop sign and gets in a quick peek at her exposed cleavage through her pink camisole top. "I don't blame him one bit." Mike drools.

Jenny leans over and whispers in his ear. "You wouldn't know what to do with them Mike." Jenny purrs.

Mike looks over at her dumb founded expression on his face. Suddenly a car behind him blares his horn at him to move. "Alright!" Mike snarls and pulls out.

Present Time

"You got back to Washington that night." Whelan asks.

"I was so relieved to get home and to sleep in my own bed for a change." Jenny sighs in contentment. "I had two teams of FBI Agents outside of my house on Protection Detail and Ziva spent the night in my spare bedroom, as Protection Detail inside my house." Jenny answers dryly.

"Agent Gibbs!" Whelan smiles.

Jenny shakes her head at her husband. "I sent him home to sleep in the boat that he was building in his basement." Jenny laughs.

The audience bursts out laughing along with Judge Flaherty, Tony leans over and whispers in Gibbs' ear. "You didn't actually sleep in that thing did you?" Tony asks in disbelief.

"Yes I did DiNozzo." Gibbs growls.

Back up on the witness stand, Whelan continues to question Jenny. "Vance was arrested the next day." Whelan asks.

"Yes, I was there when he was arrested." Jenny answers sharply.

November 7th 2008

MTAC

0800 Hours

Vance walks down the ramp and steps in front of the plasma screen. "Sir!" He address' the SecNav.

"I heard the lock down is over." SecNav says with relief.

"As of last night!" Vance answers dryly.

"FBI Director wasn't thrilled about it Leon." SecNav says with a laugh.

"When are we going to release to the public about Director Shepard's passing?" Vance asks.

SecNav watches Jenny, Gibbs, Ziva, and Fornell walk down the ramp behind Vance. Jenny approaches Vance from behind slowly. "Because you can't release information that isn't true Assistant Director Vance." Jenny steps in front of him and glares up at Vance.

Vance looks over at Jenny like he's seen a ghost. "Agent DiNozzo told me you were dead." Vance answers.

"Under my orders." Fornell growls at him.

"It's all out in the open Leon, from the Thallium poisoning." "Kort contacting Slvetlana so a hit could be put out on me." "Agent Lee's attempt two nights ago, because Kort kidnapped her daughter." "And Agent Langer was arrested a few days ago." Jenny angrily tells Vance.

Vance looks up at the SecNav for his help. SecNav quickly admonishes him. "I can't help you Leon, you're a disgrace to NCIS." He says angrily.

Ziva goes behind Vance and handcuffs him. "Assistant Director Vance, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a Federal Agent, conspiracy to commit murder of a Federal Agent, kidnapping of a minor child." Ziva starts up the ramp with Vance and continues to read his Miranda rights, with several FBI Agents following behind them.

"I guess this is still the FBI's show." Jenny says as she looks up at the SecNav.

"Unfortunately it is Director." He answers

Fornell takes in Jenny's irritated look. "It would look better Jenny, if another agency is handling this." He suggests.

"So when will you be back at work?" SecNav asks.

"Doctor has strict rest for me for about a month, plus I have to go to Bethesda for rehab on my shoulder." "So I will work from home, Cynthia can handle things from here." Jenny looks around the room for Cynthia, who walks over to her boss and hugs her affectionately.

SecNav looks down over at Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs will you be assisting Cynthia?" He inquires; Gibbs looks up at the SecNav with a blank look on his face, while Cynthia gives Jenny a horrified look. "That's what I thought, do I have to look for another Assistant Director." SecNav asks them.

"I'll do it!" Gibbs protests.

"Lesser of the two evils." SecNav says with a laugh and goes off screen.

Gibbs glares over at Jenny. "Now you're punishing me in another way for a whole month." He says with a growl.

"This I got to hear." Cynthia says with a smirk.

"No you won't be hearing it." Gibbs snaps at Cynthia.

Squad Room.

Tony is aiming a rubber band at McGee with Ziva watching from her desk.

Up on the balcony in front of MTAC.

Gibbs looking down at his team. "Our lovely children!" Gibbs says with a laugh.

Jenny glances down at McGee's desk and watches as Abby playfully badgers McGee. "Wouldn't want it any other way." She says with a smile.

Gibbs yells down at Tony from the balcony. "DiNozzo!"

Tony gets up from his desk, looks up at Gibbs, and hollers up. "Yeah boss!"

"You think you could handle team leader duty for about a month." Gibbs asks.

"No problem boss!" Tony sticks his tongue out at Ziva.

Jenny laughs and shakes her head. "Have fun!"

"I'm taking you home." Gibbs smiles.

"You have work to do here, my detail is taking me home." Jenny squeezes his hand. "I expect my agency to be intact when I return." She says with a laugh.

"Woman, you are in big trouble in a months time, and I'm not referring to your agency." Gibbs says with a growl.

"But at least I'll know when to expect it, you won't." Jenny purrs into his ear and starts off for the elevator.

Present Time

"So Agent Gibbs was Acting Director for a month." Whelan asks.

""Yes, and I returned to my office on December 1st 2008." Jenny smiles.

December 1st 2008

Balcony In Front Of MTAC

0700 Hours

Gibbs and Jenny are standing near the railing next to the steps. "You need me for anything, call me." Gibbs smiles.

Before Jenny can answer him, she glances down in the Squad Room and notices the crowd below applauding her return. "Welcome back ma'am!" They cheerfully shout up to her.

Jenny is taken back and getting emotional by the welcoming from her colleagues. "Thank you everybody." She smiles.

Cynthia walks over to her. "Good morning Director." She smiles.

"Good morning Cynthia." She smiles back, and the three of them walk over to Jenny's office.

Jenny's Office

Five Minutes Later

Jenny turns her computer on at her desk. "Man, not even on the job for five minutes and I have over three hundred e-mails." She frowns.

Gibbs laughs at her. "Ignore them like I do." Jenny rolls her eyes at him. "Not even in your office for two minutes and I see the Director is already back." He growls.

Cynthia laughs at the banter between them. "Most of your appointments are in the building today ma'am, but starting tomorrow, you have to attend hearings in the Senate and Congress." She says.

"Naturally!" She sighs and shakes her head. "Then the next thing you know, is I'll have to be in MTAC at 0400 hours and Gibbs didn't have to stay in here all night while he was Acting Director." She sighs in protest.

Gibbs cell phone rings. "Gibbs, yeah!" He answers.

Jenny is reading her e-mails. "Stupid bitch!" She hisses

Gibbs hangs up. "Robbery inside of a bank at Quantico." He says.

"Have fun!" Jenny says softly and watches Gibbs rush out the door.

Cynthia pours Jenny a cup of coffee and hands it over to her. "Figured you could use some, before you head into MTAC." She smiles at Jenny.

Jenny takes the cup from Cynthia. "I'm going to need more than that." She says dryly.

Present Time

"How long did it take you to get NCIS back into order?" Whelan asks.

Jenny glaring over at Gibbs. "A month, Agent Gibbs does not like to sit behind a desk and doing paper work, which the Director has a lot of." "So between straightening out legal snafu's and other issues, it took me about a month." Jenny snaps.

"Anything else that was work related that came out of this." Whelan asks.

"I have not been the same, nor will I ever be the same since the attempt on my life." "It took me three months to realize I needed counseling for my constant nightmares." Jenny frowns.

"You've been seeing a Psychiatrist." Whelan nods at her.

"The first six months I went once a week." Jenny answers softly.

"And now!" Whelan sheepishly asks.

"Once a month!" Jenny answers dryly.

"Therapy helped you out." Whelan smiles.

"That and the love and support that I got from Jethro and my family through out this past year." Jenny answers and smiles over at Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva.

"You're an only child Director Shepard and both of your parents are deceased." Whelan curiously asks.

"That's not the family I was talking about." "My Dysfunctional Work Family, where I'm a Wife, Daughter, Mother, Aunt, and loyal friend." "I don't know what I would of done with out them, they got me through it." Jenny answers with her voice choking with emotion.

Whelan glances up at Judge Flaherty. "No more questions your honor." Whelan nods and walks off for her table.

"Before Mr. Hargrove questions the witness the court will go into recess for an hour lunch." "We'll pick this up at 1:00." Flaherty says and gets up from her bench and walks off for her chamber.

Jenny gets off from the witness stand and angrily glares over at Vance. Whelan grabs Jenny by the arm. "Director cool your emotions." Whelan warns her.

"The man tried to kill me twice and you want me to cool off." Jenny snaps and walks over to her husband.

Gibbs leans down and tenderly kisses her on the mouth. "You did good." He smiles at her.

"Four hours on the witness stand." Tony groans in protest.

"And it's not over yet, still have to be cross examined then redirected by Whelan." Jenny sighs in protest. She glances around and notices that Ziva isn't' in the courtroom. "Where's Ziva?"

"Picking up lunch." "I don't want you leaving the building with the vultures outside." Gibbs answers roughly and escorts Jenny out of the courtroom with Tony following behind them.

Private Lounge

1230 Hours

Gibbs is eating out of his quart of House Lo Mein. Jenny swipes his coffee and takes a sip from it. "Hey!" He growls in protest.

Jenny takes another healthy sip before handing his coffee back. "I'm going to need it for Vance's ambulance chaser." Jenny hisses.

"What you said in court today, about the day you got shot I've never heard you say anything about that day before." Tony shrugs.

"Other than the FBI, SecNav, the Us Attorney's Office, Jethro, Mike Franks, and my Psychiatrist, I wasn't allowed to tell anybody what happened that day." Jenny answers softly.

"It's because of La Grenouille that you didn't want to involve me." Tony sheepishly asks.

"Yes, I still have not forgiven myself for almost getting you killed Tony." Jenny frowns, she gets from her seat and walks over to the Ladies Room.

"I knew the risks when I got involved with La Grenouille's Op." "She shouldn't blame herself for that." "She didn't want to involve Ziva and I, but she called Mike." "That I don't understand." Tony comments bitterly.

"I do!" Ziva nods at him, gets up, and walks over to the Ladies Room.

"Mike had a history with Russian Arms Dealers and if anything should have happened to her in that diner, Mike would of looked out for her interests and would of looked after me." Gibbs answers smoothly.

"I would of looked after you boss." Tony frowns.

Gibbs stands up. "It's not the same DiNozzo." He smiles and glances over towards the Ladies Room.

Ladies Room

Jenny is standing over at the sink putting on her make up. Ziva is at the sink standing next to her. "Ready for round two." Ziva hesitantly asks.

"I'll be ready for the bastard, don't worry." Jenny answers sharply.

Courtroom

1300 Hours

"Director Shepard will you please take the stand again." Flaherty instructs her from her bench.

Jenny gets up from her seat, walks over to the witness stand, and sits down. Hargrove walks over to her. "Good afternoon Director Shepard." He coolly says to her.

"Good afternoon!" Jenny icily says to him.

"When did you first meet, Assistant Director Vance?" Hargrove asks.

"On an op over in the Czech Republic." Jenny snaps and gives Hargrove a sarcastic look.

"No need for the sarcasm Director." Hargrove chastises her.

Whelan jumps out of her seat. "Objection, the witness has already answered this question in direct auestioning your honor, no wonder the witness is being hostile towards Mr. Hargrove." Whelan vents in protest.

"Sustained, Mr. Hargrove please ask the Director questions that she has not been asked already." Flaherty warns him, and then looks over at Jenny. "And Director Shepard, I recommend that you keep the attitude to a minimum." Flaherty scolds her.

"Sorry your honor." Jenny apologizes.

"Now, you told Agent Gibbs that you killed Slvetlana in the park." Hargrove asks.

"No I didn't, Agent Decker told him that I did." Jenny answers sharply.

Hargrove walks over to his table and grabs a file. He slowly approaches the bench. "Defense exhibit one." "It's the case report on Slvetlana's sanctioned execution by Agent Gibbs in it Agent Decker has filed a report, stating that Special Agent Jennifer Shepard successfully took out Slvetlana." "And her signature is on the report." Hargrove comments smoothly. Jenny shakes her head and begins to laugh. Hargrove walks over to Jenny and hands her Decker's report. "Going to read it."

"I refused to read it eleven years ago, I'm not going to read it now." Jenny defiantly answers.

"But you signed it." Hargrove says in disbelief.

"No I didn't." Jenny smiles and points out to the signature on the report. "That's not my signature." "I did not complete my mission eleven years ago and I was not going to put my name on to something that I did not do."

"Can I have the report Director?" Flaherty instructs her. Jenny hands the Judge the report. Flaherty hands Jenny a pen and paper. "Sign your name on this." Flaherty asks her. Jenny signs her name on the paper and hands it over to Flaherty. Flaherty compares the two signatures. "She's right Mr. Hargrove, this is not her signature."

Hargrove takes the report and the piece of paper that Jenny had just signed and glances over at the two signatures. "Why would Agent Gibbs turn over a case report, with a forged signature?" Hargrove shrugs.

"How would I know, I was the Junior Agent on his team." Jenny smugly answers.

Hargrove remembers something from Jenny's testimony from Whelan's direct examination. "You said that Agent Decker had come into a lot of money." Hargrove asks.

"Yes, he married an older woman with money soon as he transferred to Los Angeles." "They were married for about ten months and because his wife did not sign a prenuptial agreement when they got married, by California Law, Will got half of her money." Jenny answers firmly.

"Sure it wasn't from working with an Arms Dealer." Hargrove implies.

"Will wasn't dirty." "Besides, the FBI checked into William Decker inside and out, after my assassination attempt and found nothing on him." Jenny snaps.

"And you?" Hargrove asks.

"What about me?" Jenny flippantly answers.

"Didn't you become an NCIS Agent to track down an Arms Dealer, named La Grenouille?"

"Objection, no bearing on this trial." Whelan shouts from her table.

"Does this have anything to do with Assistant Director Vance's trial?" Flaherty asks.

"No!" Hargrove answers roughly.

"Then I'll ask that the court will strike your last question out of the records." Flaherty nods down at the stenographer.

Hargrove because he has nothing further to ask Jenny, gets one more shot in on her. "Didn't you think sleeping around with your boss, while an important convert operation, was a bit inappropriate Director Shepard?" Hargrove chastises her.

Whelan jumps out of her chair. "Objection, totally illrelavent to his clients trial." Whelan snaps.

"I'd like to answer that your honor." Jenny answers softly.

"Go right ahead Director." Flaherty nods down at her.

"No, you can't control, who you fall in love with." Jenny smiles over at her husband.

"I have no further questions." Hargrove says in defeat and walks over to his table.

"Ms. Whelan any questions." Flaherty nods over at her.

"Yes your honor." Whelan smiles and walks over to the witness stand. "So if Agent Decker wrote out a false report and signed your name to it, I guess Assistant Director Vance did the same thing, since he was ordered to put a hit on Nikolai Tarasov and did a similar thing as Agent Decker." "He wrote out a report stating that Nikolai Tarasov was killed in a car bombing, that he caused."

"I guess he did, I wasn't in charge of reading the reports Agent Gibbs was, since he was the Supervisory Senior Field Agent on our team." Jenny shrugs.

"Director while I was on lunch break, I noticed that Assistant Director Vance was also on the take with Pavel Radek the Arms Dealer that was responsible for Agent Landon's death."

"I read that a few days ago." Jenny answers and looks over at Vance. "Vance must have tipped off Radek about our op that night." "Vance was with Agent Cavanagh back at Radek's farm and Gibbs and Decker brought in extra teams for reinforcements, which Vance did not know about." Jenny answers firmly.

"So that was the reason why there was a gunman in the barn." Whelan asks.

"Yes, while Radek and his men were picking off Gibbs and Decker." "Vance and the sniper in the barn would have finished off Cavanagh, myself, and Doctor Mallard." Jenny surmises.

"I have no further questions your honor." Whelan nods at her and walks back over to her table.

"You may step down Director." Flaherty instructs her.

Jenny gets off the stand, walks over to her seat, and sits down next to Gibbs. "The man is an idiot." Jenny hisses in protest.

"It was obvious to the start, he had nothing to ask you." Ziva sighs.

"They have zero defense for this case, why doesn't Vance just plead guilty." Tony mutters.

Jenny glares over at Vance. "Because he's to arrogant to Tony."

Jenny's House

1700 Hours

Gibbs is tenderly kissing his wife goodbye. "Your tired take a nap for a few hours." Gibbs frowns down at her.

"Way ahead of you Jethro." Jenny answers softly, leans up, and kisses him. She slowly walks over towards the house.

Gibbs making sure that Jenny walks through the front door. He heads over to the Towne Car and gets inside. "I guess Ziva and I can go home." Tony grins.

"It's not 1800 hours yet DiNozzo." Gibbs barks.

Melvin pulls away from the curb. "Thought you could get out of work, huh Tony." Ziva laughs.

Tony makes a face. "The Director doesn't have to go back to work." Tony pouts.

"The Director is four months pregnant with my child DiNozzo." "She's had a long stressful day and I want her in bed for a few hours sleeping." Gibbs growls.

"I think the Defense Lawyer was more stressed out on the cross examination part." Tony chuckles.

Jenny's Kitchen

1830 Hours

Noemi has her coat on. "I'll see you tomorrow Senora Jenny." She smiles at her.

"Night Noemi!" Jenny smiles.

"Night Senor Franks."

"Good night!" Mike smiles and watches Noemi walk out of the kitchen. "Damn good cook." "I'm having her write down some of her recipe's for Camilla." Mike answers smoothly and digs into his Veal Parmesan.

"She spoiled Gibbs' Father, when he was over for Christmas." Jenny says then takes a sip from her glass of water.

"Since I finally got you alone for a change." Mike smirks at her. Jenny raises a curious eyebrow up at him. "You have a dirty mind for a happily married woman." Mike smirks.

"Just because I'm married, nothing about me has changed since Mexico." "Mike I'm still the same." Jenny smiles.

Mike shakes his head and begins to laugh. "Still have your sense of humor." "Unlike Jethro's first wife, when we were partners, you have one." "Other than looking like you got beaten around by a broom stick handle." "How's life being Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs number five?"

"Well, let's see how you would look in your mid forties, being four months pregnant with an extremely stressful job and a pain in the ass for a husband." Jenny hisses in protest.

"He says that things are going well for the two of you." Mike sheepishly says.

"For him everything is peachy." "Me, I have to bite my tongue every time I want to scream at him." Jenny sighs.

"No stress I take it for the baby." Mike smoothly asks.

"I'll have Ducky up my ass." Jenny groans in protest.

"What did he say to me the other day?" "The two of you make love more and argue less."

"Five more months and the gloves are off Mike." Jenny snaps.

"I like watching you and Probie argue, you always win." Mike cackles.

"That's because I always have an answer for him." Jenny laughs.

NCIS Head Quarters

Squad Room

1900 Hours

Gibbs is about to step inside the elevator to go down to Abby's lab, when he bumps into Wheeler as she's getting out of the elevator. He rolls his eyes in protest. "I missed you to Agent Gibbs." Wheeler sweetly says to him.

"I don't have to look at you this time around, since you're on the other side of the building." Gibbs smirks.

"But I'm here and you don't like it." Wheeler smiles.

"Just as long as you do your thing, and keep the hell out of my way." Gibbs growls and steps inside the elevator. "Far away from me." Gibbs snaps at her and hits the closed doors button.

Jenny's House

2000 Hours

Gibbs walks in and notices that the study is dark. "Living room!" He smiles and walks over to the living room. Inside the living room, Gibbs finds Jenny on the couch reading a book. He takes off his coat, flings it on the back of the chair, and approaches Jenny. "How much sleep did you get." He smiles and gets down on to his knee and leans over and tenderly kisses Jenny on the mouth.

Jenny pulls away from his kiss. "Hour and a half." She shrugs.

Gibbs kisses her one more time before standing up. "I still want you in bed by 2200 hours." Gibbs nods down. Jenny rolls her eyes up at him and begins to read her book. "I saw that." He growls.

"I don't care if you saw it." Jenny hisses and gets up with her book in her hand. "In another five months Jethro the gloves will be off." "I'm only being a yes wife at the moment, because Doctor Norton does not want me in any stress." "But once this child is born, if you ever talk to me the

way you did in the gym a few weeks ago, I will be using my foot not my knee down here." Jenny warns him and grabs Gibbs by the balls. She angrily storms out of the room and into the study slamming the door behind her.

Gibbs grimaces in pain. "Damn, what got her fired up." Gibbs barks in disbelief. He gingerly walks out of the room.

The Garage

Half an hour later

Mike is sitting the kitchen table playing a hand of solitaire. Gibbs rushes down the stairs two at a time, wearing kaki pants and a white long sleeved shirt with a black Steelers t-shirt over top of it. He walks over to the refrigerator. "Want a refill on your beer?" Gibbs shrugs at him.

"Sure!" Mike snorts.

Gibbs opens up the refrigerator door, he glances over at Mike. "Did you say something to Jen about our conversation the other day?" Gibbs sheepishly asks and grabs a bottle of Corona for Mike and a Budweiser for him. He closes the door and walks over to the table.

"Yeah, I guess you got your ass chewed out, huh." Mike cackles, Gibbs puts Mike's beer on the table and gives him the stare. "Damn I missed it." Mike laughs and opens up his bottle of beer.

Gibbs walks over to the workbench. "Haven't heard a door slam in months." Gibbs laughs and grabs a piece of sandpaper.

"You could have make up sex later on." Mike winks.

"Not tonight, I want her sleeping, she had a long tiring day in court today." Gibbs bitterly answers and opens up his bottle of beer.

"If you did how far would you have gotten." Mike curiously asks.

Gibbs holds up his bottle of bourbon. "I'm her bourbon fix for the next five months." Gibbs grins.

"That actually works." Mike shrugs.

"It got me out of a fight a month ago, broke in the sink in the Master Bedroom." Gibbs smirks at him and begins to sand down one of the rails for the crib.

"Dirty dog Jethro." Mike laughs and continues on with his card game.

Master Bedroom

2300 Hours

Gibbs slips into bed. He lifts up the covers and kisses his unborn child that's growing inside of Jenny's belly. Jenny stirs in her sleep. "Go back to sleep, just kissing our child good night." Gibbs whispers and leans over her. "Am I allowed to kiss the Mother of my child good night also?"

"If it gets my husband to sleep, yes." Jenny mumbles in a sleep filled voice. Gibbs passionately kisses his wife, his hands venture up to her breasts. Jenny getting turned on pulls away from his kiss. "Your belly isn't the only area that's getting bigger." Gibbs grins and begins to feel up Jenny's breasts, his thumbs circle around her harden peaks. "You going to breast feed the baby." Gibbs curiously asks.

"I haven't thought about it much, but now that you brought it up." "Yes I would love to experience nursing my child." Jenny smiles at him. Gibbs pulls away and frowns, when he remembers that Shannon couldn't nurse Kelly. Jenny tenderly touches his face. "You thinking about Kelly." She softly asks.

"Shannon couldn't nurse her." Gibbs frowns.

"I guess it will be a new memory for you." Jenny smiles and kisses him on the mouth. Gibbs buries his face up against his wife's shoulder. Jenny strokes his hair, several minutes later; Gibbs falls asleep in his wife's arms. Jenny exhausted from her long day in court drifts off to sleep.