AN: I realize I haven't been focusing on the Director since she gave birth to her child some chapters back, but there's a reason for that. Anyway, on with the story...we shall see exactly what our wonderful redhead Director is up to...

Jenny POV

The flu-like attacks had been happening for days now, quite randomly, I might add. Gibbs so far doesn't suspect a thing, but today when he came into my house for dinner, he saw me bent over panting for breath, so I knew the game was up.

"Jen, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said as soon as I could breathe.

"You're sweating bullets, and you call that fine?" I sighed and tore my eyes away from his, with much difficulty.

"I don't know why this is happening...maybe Ducky will have some answers." Suddenly my stomach lurched, and I ran to the bathroom. Reilly started crying out for attention, so Gibbs had no choice but to leave me. When I finally had ten vomit-free minutes, I went to go clean myself up at the sink. I brought my hand down to turn the sink off, when it suddenly did so all on its own. I realized I had twisted my hand in the air and hadn't closed on the handle at all, a strange thing. When I tried again, nothing happened. The house was very quiet. Gibbs must have quiet the child down for now. All my strange symptoms mysteriously began to vanish as I made to leave for NCIS. I was surprised to see Kate approaching me.

"Hello," I said uncertainly. I haven't heard from her since I had gone into labor unexpectedly at NCIS.

"I thought I might find you here," Kate said. "I had a dream about you last night. You were standing in MTRC, and suddenly, when you lifted your hand to do something...Gibbs's coffee fell over all on its own."

"I find that rather strange...I was just headed there, actually." Kate smiled a little. She knew something I didn't, apparently.

"Isn't today Saturday, by the way?" she asked me.

"Well, I have work to do that has been put off for much too long, Kate, now if you don't mind-"

"I was hoping we could talk," Kate interrupted. "It's important, Director. It has to do with the New Word Order Alistair tried to start." I put on my business face and led Kate inside.

"Start from the beginning," I said to her.

"Might want to bring McGee and the crew here, I need them all to know."

Daniel POV

NCIS was completely empty, an unusual thing. I searched all their homes later and found them to be empty. Except...I didn't check Director Shepard's house. How foolish of me. I made a sharp U turn and headed for where the Director happened to live. I was going to meet her at last.

Abby POV

"I already heard everything from him, so you can go while I watch the kids," I had said to McGee. That was almost an hour ago, when he recieved the call from the Director to leave at once and meet up at her house. A week had passed since that fateful late night with my brother. Tabitha was sleeping through some nights, but Hayley still cried most of the time whenever I left her in the crib for too long all alone. I wondered how she could be so different just from being born six minutes later than Tabitha.

So, having nothing to do but sit around and care for the twins, I started to draw up some wedding plans in an old sketchbook sitting around the house. I drew a black dress swathed in deep purples so that it would shine a mysterious midnight shade in the sunlight. I brought the neckline down just enough to satisfy McGee without scandalizing others. I continued drawing, adding more and more details to the dress. By the time I had finished, it was well past lunch time. Hayley cried out from the nursery. I changed her diaper and fed both infants before finding some food for myself.

After I had eaten a turkey sandwich topped with enough lettuce and tomato to put a salad to shame, I returned to my drawing and found it good enough to leave alone. So, turning the page, I began to imagine an overall theme for the wedding. Being with a Goth fashion sense, black, purple, and red were very common colors in the decorations I drew. An indoor wedding seemed to work best with the idea I had in mind. Perhaps the minister won't mind dressing up as the Grim Reaper as if it were Halloween. So it continued for another ten minutes. Just then, McGee walked through the door, looking very surprised to see several drawings spread out all over the living room floor.

"What's all this?" I abandoned my sketch of the Grim Reaper costume and looked at him.

"Just some possible wedding plans," I explained. "What kept you so long? I've been so lonely all morning."

"Well, your brother was explaining all these things to us, and that only took, thirty minutes. But then Director Shepard started acting so weird...I could hardly believe what I was seeing. She...kind of went into this trance, you know? And then, suddenly, Kate's glass of water smashed onto the floor. Water went everywhere. Daniel was then showing her how to control her ability. It was not more than an hour later that Kate spoke up about her own power to see the future. So, we spent another hour and a half getting her into training as well. It was quite an interesting time."

"Forget I asked you about this," I said. McGee laughed and went into the nursery. I followed him, regretting the fact I didn't bother to at least say hello to dear Jenny, whom I have not seen for weeks now.

"Why don't you go visit her while I hold down the fort here?" he suggested. "I'm sure the Director misses your hugs." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks and drove off to her house, ignoring all traffic laws in my haste to get there. I lightly rapped on the door, hoping I'd get a moment alone with her, but was surprised to see Gibbs answer the door.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked. Well, that was a little rude. Maybe he thought that by 'maternity leave' I wouldn't be going out in public, either.

"Thought I'd stop by," I replied with a smile.

"Hello, Abby," Jenny said. The baby was currently starting to drift off to sleep in her arms. She handed it to Gibbs. She stood up to greet me properly. I brought her into the tightest hug I could manage at the moment.

"Congrats on the kid, by the way,"

"Her name is Reilly...I used to have a friend with that name." Her green eyes were sad for a moment, but then she recovered and smiled at me.

"I'll see you later, then," Gibbs said, sensing I was going to be here for a while. I looked at him.

"When can I go back to work?"

"Same time as Jen does." This answer satisfied me, so with that, he put Reilly in her crib and left the house.

"So, what brings you by here?" the redhead asked. "I thought your twins had you all tied up in a knot."

"Well, I heard about what happened here this morning and decided to drop by and see how you were doing."

"Just fine, now that the strange spells are fading and they actually have an explanation," Jenny responded. I smiled and nodded, but this didn't feel right. This wasn't what I had come here for. I didn't want a casual conversation about our lives and where they were at the moment. I thought of my past, with my previous-no present-fear of commitment, of something permenant that might not really remain so for long.

"Timmy and I are finally going to tie the knot," I said at last, having found the right words to say.

"That's great!" Her reaction was excited and pleased; everything I predicted. When she saw I wasn't being cheerful as well, her smile vanished, replaced by concern and confusion.

"Isn't that what you want?"

"Well, yes, but...commitment hasn't been one of my strong points," I admitted, sucking my head in shame. It all sounded stupid now. The Director of NCIS gave me a look.

"Is he worth it?" she asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Do you love him?" she continued.

"Yes, but-"

"Would you be willing to do anything for your marriage if there was a problem?"

"Yes, but-"

"But what? There is nothing to worry about!"

"But, what if it's not the happily ever after I wanted?" I asked finally.

"It's not always going to be like the honeymoon phase," she said. "I'm sure McGee is willing to work things out with you along the way." Suddenly, I felt a whole lot better talking to Jenny as a friend rather than a Director. But, she was so much of both it was hard to seperate the two roles.

"So, show me this new power of yours." I said with a mischevious grin on my face.

"Well, it's hard for me to control, but..." She looked doubtful. After a minute, she grinned back and proceeded to levitate the TV remote toward us. I noticed she flicked her hand a certain way in order to do so.

"Well, that could come in handy." I noted. The Director lost concentration, and the remote fell to the floor, halfway across the carpet.

"Yeah, if I could get it right," she muttered, frowning at the uncoopertave piece of technology after a second attempt.

"Ah, well," I said lightly. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I don't even know what my power is, so consider yourself lucky."

"I could break rule twenty-three any time I wanted now." I giggled and headed for the door.

"I'll see you soon," I called to her. "Just let me know when you decide to start up work again at NCIS, and I'm so there."