A/N: Code, I am so happy you left a review and would love to address what you wrote but you weren't signed in. For what it's worth, the research I did showed she COULD know 15 days after conception. Don't worry, I have been using a "week by week" website to help me with my research. Just ask AliyahNCIS (damn spellcheck; and thanks for the beta of this too!). Hopesmom caught my clues. ;) I stick by my belief she would tell him right away, especially after what happened years ago when she didn't. I don't think she could ever do that to him again.
***JIBBS***JIBBS***JIBBS***
"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs," squealed Abby as she flung herself into his arms. "I missed you. No more two week vacations."
"Need to breathe, Abs."
"Oh, right."
Gibbs kissed her temple before letting her go so he could greet the others. "Thanks for coming. McGee, did you sweep it yet?"
"Uh, no Boss. I guess that would have been a good idea to do beforehand. If some of these guys help, I'm sure we could do it quickly."
Gibbs reached the front door, turning his attention to Tim. "Is it all set?"
"Top of the line, Boss. Just like you asked."
Gibbs unlocked the door.
Tony and Ziva looked at each other. Who knew his door even had a lock?
Gibbs quickly found the newly installed alarm and put in the code he'd asked for. The same one Jenny had. Abby shot a confused look McGee's way, and he simply shrugged.
Gibbs turned on the light. "Take Tony and Abby to help you. Ziver, stay with me out here."
The Israeli took a seat next to him as the others headed inside. "Something I can help you with, Gibbs?"
"I wanted to thank you for handling the team, getting them to back off. I don't know what you said, but it seemed to work."
She smiled. "Will we be finding out what the big secret is or was?"
He nodded. "Eventually. Wanted to ask you something."
She looked him, curious. "All right."
He tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. "During the trip, I got to thinking a bit about Jenny."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"You two worked together on missions. Did she ever… mention me?"
Ziva eyed him suspiciously. "Why now?"
Uh oh. He shook his head slightly, looking off into the distance. "I don't know. Lost in memories. Something she said once made me wonder if she still cared after Paris. Thought maybe you could help clarify some things."
He smiled to himself. That seemed to affect her.
"I don't know, Gibbs. I do not want to betray her trust."
Gibbs was no actor, but he tried his best to channel a sad look. He thought about leaving Jenny earlier.
She sighed. "I suppose that is a silly response, after all, she has been gone for some time. Perhaps I could share a few memories."
It took a lot of self control for him to remain still. He couldn't wait until he had the chance to rub in Jenny's face that he got Ziva to spill.
"She spoke a little bit about you but mostly about a man she left behind in Paris. I believe I realized my first day at NCIS he was you, no?"
Gibbs nodded. "How'd you know?"
Ziva smiled at the memory. "You were kissing a red-haired woman at the elevator. I glanced back and saw her watching you. The look… I just knew. It seemed personal."
Interesting. "Thank you, Ziva. It means a lot to think I mattered to her, even after all those years."
"If you are indeed the man from Paris, you most certainly did. It was easy to tell you had her heart. I know she ran away. Why?" Ziva shrugged. "She never said. I got the feeling she thought she cared more for you than was returned. Like there was a part of you that you kept hidden away. I suppose that was true? You never told her about your first wife or daughter, yes?"
He scrubbed his hand down his face and nodded. It seemed that in questioning Ziva he was getting more than he'd bargained for.
"Boss, we're done." Tim led the others outside to speak with Gibbs. "We found one bug in your basement."
Gibbs' glared fiercely at the little piece of technology as if his eyes could burn a hole right through it. "I want the full works done on that thing. So the rest of the house is clean?"
When Tim nodded, Gibbs motioned for everyone to enter the house. Once they were inside, he armed the alarm, motioning for them all to follow him to the basement.
Downstairs, Gibbs motioned for them all to find a place to sit. "You double and triple checked it down here. There isn't anything?"
Abby looked worried. "Gibbs, what's going on? You have a lock and an alarm now. Someone bugged your home. You were on some top secret trip. Is everything okay?"
Gibbs took a deep breath. Soon there would be no turning back. "I need your help. I'm going to be reading you four into a case that is way above our pay grade. I need your assurances that what you're going to learn about tonight you will not tell another living soul. If you need to speak with someone about it, you come to me. Can you do that? Because if not, I won't think less of you, but I need you to leave right now."
"Uh…"
"Ya gotta a problem, DiNozzo? Spit it out."
"I've never heard you say that much in one breath. I think I can speak for everyone here - I'm a little freaked out right now."
Gibbs moved his glare from Tony to Ziva, who was sitting right next to him. Reading Gibbs' thoughts, Ziva quickly head-slapped Tony.
"This could be dangerous for you all. It's certainly life and death for someone else. I need to hear from each of you before I say anything else. Are you in?"
"For you, El Magnifico, anything," announced Abby.
Tim went next. "I'm in."
"But of course," added Ziva. "I am in as well."
Tony met Gibbs' eyes without wavering. "I'm in, Boss."
Gibbs nodded. "Good. Because I'm going to need all of you and your skills. This is one giant mess."
He looked around at his team and saw that he had their full attention. "It involves a woman by the name of Catherine Jones. Now, no matter what you learn here tonight, no matter what is said, her name is Catherine Jones and that is the only name, when referring to her, that I ever want to hear uttered by any of you. Do you understand me?"
They all nodded their heads, giving their verbal affirmations as well.
"She witnessed a murder and is now in the WITSEC program, courtesy of the CIA, FBI and possibly every other agency in the alphabet soup, including our own. I will go into further detail of this operation, but first I'm going to let her speak to you herself. McGee, let me know when we need to hang up with her, okay?"
The young agent knew exactly what Gibbs meant. "Got it, Boss."
"No one is to say a word unless she addresses you. Understood?"
Abby, McGee, Tony and Ziva all exchanged confused looks before nodding.
Gibbs pulled out a cell phone that none of them recognized. It was one of those prepaid ones that could be dumped easily. He dialed a number and listened as she picked up. "You ready?" he asked. Once she answered, he put the phone on speaker.
"Thank you all for agreeing to help. It really means a lot to me."
Abby gasped. Tony and Ziva shared a haunted look while Tim's mouth fell open. All eyes turned to Gibbs in astonishment. Then he did something they'd rarely, if ever, seen him do. He smiled.
"Tony and Ziva, I'm so sorry about what happened. Gibbs will explain more but I hope you know how proud I am of you both and Tim too. You're all fine agents. Abby, without even knowing it, you have been very important to me over this past year. You've been my lifeline to this team. Thank you. Jethro, how much more time do I have?"
He flashed a look at McGee. "Ma'am, you should probably hang up in about 30 seconds."
"One last thing. Ziva - Jethro's going to grill you about Cairo. Try not to break."
Ziva shot Gibbs a glare.
Jenny started laughing. "Crap, I'm too late, aren't I?"
Gibbs took the phone off speaker and held it to his ear. "Yep." He heard her laughing on the other end. "Catherine, remember… everything." And with that he hung up.
Gibbs looked at his team. Their eyes were filled with shock, and within seconds questions were coming at him from every direction as they all talked a mile a minute, trying to take everything in.
He sighed. He knew it was going to be a long night.
