Trust Me

On Sunday Jethro arrived at Jen's house just in time for her to leave for work.

"I was afraid you weren't coming."

"I said I'd be here."

"I know. I'm sorry. Maybe I should stay home and we can talk."

"Go to work, Jen. We have plenty of time to talk tonight."

"Okay. I'll try and be home early." Jen wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently on the mouth. "Love you."

Jethro and Sam had breakfast then went outside so Sam could

play in the yard while Jethro read the paper. When Sam got tired he climbed into Jethro's lap and they went in the house. After a quick cleanup and a snack Sam fell asleep on Jethro's lap in the recliner. Before long they were both asleep and almost two hours later it was Jethro's phone that woke him up. He looked at the screen before he answered.

"What is it DiNozzo?"

"Uh, Boss, we've got situation here the director wants us to handle."

"What kind of situation?"

"Dead guy at the gate."

"Oh, that kind. I'll be there in twenty."

Jethro took Sam in and changed his diaper, packed some food, a bottle and other necessities in the diaper bag. He grabbed the extra car seat from the front closet and carried everything out to the car. After securing the seat in the car he put Sam in and buckled the safety harness. He checked the glove box to make sure his badge and weapon were there. He knew they were, but it was a habit to always check.

"You're going have to go to work with me little man. Your mom can come get you when she gets off."

Sam smiled at him and said three or four things Jethro didn't understand. He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. There was a young man walking up the driveway carrying a flower arrangement. Jethro looked past him and didn't see a flower delivery van. Warning bells started going off in his head and he moved to open the door so he could get his gun. The young man smiled and said he had a delivery for Jenny Sheppard. Sam cried out for some reason and Jethro turned his head to look at the child for just a second.

Then time seemed to stand still. The young man dropped the flowers and with absolutely no warning produced a gun and shot Jethro in the chest. He stumbled back, grasping his chest in pain. The only thought he had was for Sam. He had to protect Sam. Jethro took a step toward the man and felt another bullet thud into his right shoulder. It spun him around and he fell to the ground. The whole thing took only a few seconds but it seemed to go on forever. Jethro barely registered the man nudging him out of the way with his foot as he got in the car and drove away. With Sam.

Darkness was quickly overtaking Jethro but he pushed it away. He managed to get his phone out and somehow he called DiNozzo.

"Hey Boss you on the way?"

"Don't talk. BOLO my sedan. West on Woodfern from my location. White male, jeans, gray shirt, Nationals cap. He has Sam."

Jethro coughed and struggled to breathe.

"Boss, what the hell happened? Where are you?"

"Shot. 6220 Woodfern. Ambulance. Now, Tony."

"On it Boss." Tony yelled to McGee to get an ambulance to the address. "Boss, talk to me. Stay with me."

"Can't." Jethro dropped the phone as he lost consciousness.

Julia, Sam's babysitter, had a new puppy and she decided to bring her down and let Sam play with her. She walked down the sidewalk to Jenny's house and as she crossed the street she saw Jethro lying in the driveway. Knowing the few seconds spent getting her mother would be worth the time she ran home screaming for her mom.

"Quick, Jethro's hurt. Get your bag. Lot's of blood."

"Grab some towels and call 911."

Julia's mother ran out of the house leaving the shocked teen to get the towels and the ambulance. When she got to Jethro his pulse was barely there and his breathing was shallow and ragged. Julia was right there with several towels which her mom used to try and stop the bleeding. She sent Julia to stand at the end of driveway and wait for the ambulance. She didn't want her daughter to watch Jethro die. She kept talking to him trying to get some response but he was still unconscious when the paramedics arrived. Then she realized his car was gone and she wondered where Sam was. She heard the ambulance pull up and called for Julia to go inside and look for Sam.

The paramedics took over and very quickly got Jethro on oxygen and IV's. They loaded him on a gurney and told Julia's mother they were taking him to Washington Trauma Center.

"You better call his family if he has one."

She nodded at them knowing it didn't look good for Jethro at this point. Julia came out of the house shaking her head.

"Sam's not here. The diaper bag and the car seat are gone too."

"Alright, we better call Jenny."

Julia looked around and saw Jethro's phone lying in the driveway. It was still open and connected to someone who was frantically trying to get someone to answer. She handed it to her mom.

"Hello, who is this?"

"NCIS Agent DiNozzo. Where's Agent Gibbs?"

"He's on his way to the Washington Trauma Center. He was shot twice. He's in bad shape."

"Thank you."

The next two days were chaotic but Jethro knew nothing about any of it. By the time he was transferred from the ambulance to the ER trauma center he had no pulse and had stopped breathing. The ER team managed to get him back but it was touch and go for the next twenty minutes as they tried to get him at least as far as an operating room. Luckily he was in one of the top trauma hospitals in the nation and the staff managed to get him stabilized enough for a surgeon to try and work his magic.

While that was going on Julia's mother got Jenny on the phone at work and told her what was happening. She immediately drove to the hospital. By the time she arrived Jethro's team was there. Tony was talking to a Metro Detective about the shooting and abduction of Sam. When he saw Jenny come in he went to her.

"What's happening? Where's my son?"

"Someone shot Gibbs and took his car with Sam in it. Where is Sam's father?"

The Metro detective had come up to speak with Jenny and was anxious to hear her answer to Tony's question.

"He lives in Wyoming. He would never shoot anyone. Where is Sam?"

"We don't know. We have an alert out on Gibbs' car. We'll find them. Do you know anyone who would do this?"

Jenny could barely breathe. She was so shocked at what was happening she was having trouble making her mind work. Surely to god Brandon had not done this. But did she want a stranger to have Sam? She couldn't imagine Brandon hurting her son.

The detective spoke to her, "Ms. Sheppard, I know this is difficult but do you know anyone who would take your son? Any old boyfriends, a stalker?"

"Sam's biological father's brother. His name is Brandon Kerr. He's been calling me, wanting to see Sam. Stephen told me yesterday that Brandon was in DC. It has to be him."

Tony shook his head and walked away to talk to Ducky who was coming back from the nurse's station. Something told him Jenny hadn't shared that particular piece of information with the Boss or he would never have been taken by surprise.

"What'd they say Ducky?"

"He's in surgery. Two shots, one in the right shoulder and one in the chest. Obviously, that's the one causing the problems. He lost quite a lot of blood before anyone found him. Do you know what happened yet, Tony?"

"Seems that Sam's uncle has been calling, wanting to see him. Jenny thinks he might be the shooter. Is the Boss going to be okay?"

"It's too early to say, Tony. They lost him twice in the ambulance and only barely managed to revive him in the ER. I'd say he'll be in surgery for the next couple of hours and if he comes out of that we'll see."

Tony looked at his teammates. He knew Metro PD had secured the scene but he wanted to process it himself.

"Abby, you stay here with Ducky while McGee, Ziva and I go to the scene. We'll take the evidence and stuff to the lab and then we'll be back. Probably no big rush on the lab stuff."

They all hated to leave but like Tony, they wanted to gather what evidence they could and hopefully find someone who had seen what happened. Tony went over to Jenny and the Metro detective and told them they were leaving.

"How is Jethro?"

"He's in surgery. Ducky said he's in pretty bad shape so we don't know yet." Tony wasn't feeling too generous toward her and it showed. He stalked off to join McGee and Ziva.

Jenny covered her face and sobbed. Ducky went to her and helped her to a chair. She was terrified for Sam but also for Jethro. If this was Brandon's doing she would never forgive herself for not trusting Jethro and letting him help her.

"Ducky, is he going to make it?"

"I don't know my dear. Jethro is awfully tough so I wouldn't count him out. A chest wound is very often fatal of course but he is in the best trauma center in this part of the country. Do you know what happened?"

"No, my neighbor called and said Jethro had been shot and someone had taken Sam. I came here from work. Jethro and I had a horrible fight yesterday and I said some really hurtful things to him. Oh, Ducky, if he dies, I'll never forgive myself."

"I'm sure Jethro had already forgiven you whatever you said. I know he loves you Jenny. And Sam. I know Jethro would have done anything in the world to protect Sam."

"Yes. He would have. This is all my fault Ducky."

Before Ducky could ask her to explain that the police detective motioned for her to speak with him and she stepped away.