AN: O.k. so I finally got a chance to update. YAY! Heads up for everyone reading. From here on out, NCIS:LA will be part of the story. This is pre season 1 NCIS:LA so no Dominic and no Deeks. Sorry to people who like them. And yes I know that Hetty was not in the NCIS season 6 episodes Legend part 1 and 2 but she is part of this story. Macy, Nate, Sam, Kenzi, and Eric are going to be part of this story just not in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or NCIS:LA
Chapter 49
Tony didn't know what to do. He didn't want to end things with Lizzy but he knew the last week had been difficult for her with everything that happened to her mother. He wanted to fix it, but he thought that she might be better off without him in her life. She deserved better and he had to accept that. Tony was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. He saw it was Ziva. He had been ignoring everyone's calls except for hers and Gibbs'. He figured since it had been more than a week, so it had something to do with the Director's condition. "Yeah, Ziva, what's going on?"
"The Director's awake. But she is very weak. They're going to keep her in the hospital for about a month."
Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "Is Lizzy there?"
"No, but she is on her way. I'll tell her you called-"
"No! No, Ziva. I don't want you to tell her anything."
"Why? Don't you want her to know what happened or that you're o.k.?" When Tony remained silent, Ziva said, "You haven't spoken to her yet, have you?"
"No."
"Tony, how could you not speak to her yet? She needed you this entire week and you haven't been there for her. How could you do that to her? I wouldn't be surprised if she gave her engagement ring back to you. It's what I would do if my fiancee was acting like a coward."
"How do you know she hasn't already?" Tony asked rhetorically.
"Tony... I didn't mean. She gave it back, didn't she? Oh, Tony, I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, Ziva."
"No it's not. You two love each other and should be together."
"I think you've been spending too much time with Abby. Only she talks like that."
"She's a good influence. Anyways, you should get to the hospital. Jenny wanted to talk to us."
"I'll be there soon."
Tony got into a cab and gave the driver the address to the hospital. Once there, he walked quickly to recovery and found Ducky, Abby, Palmer, and McGee had flown out to see the Director. He also saw, the Director's family and Ziva minus Gibbs and Lizzy. Abby still had tears in her eyes despite the Director finally being awake and when she saw Tony she attacked him with a fierce hug. "Abs, I can't breathe."
"Oh sorry." She quickly let him go and dragged him over to the rest of the group.
"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked.
"He's in the room with Jennifer, Vance, and the SecNav. They're discussing what happened in the desert and Jennifer's future with NCIS." Ducky said.
"What do you mean her future at NCIS?"
"This is not the first time, Jennifer has managed to slip away from her protection detail. This time last year, the SecNav warned her that if she did it again, there would be dire consequences."
"Hopefully, they don't fire her. I wouldn't be able to take it if Vance was our new Director." Abby said.
"I don't think they'll fire her, just put her on suspension for a while." Ducky said trying to comfort everyone in the room.
"Where's Lizzy." Tony said after a moment of pure silence.
"I'm surprised it has taken you this long to inquire about my granddaughter?" Celeste said angrily while Rachel just glared at Tony. She knew what Lizzy had done and she didn't blame her on bit. If Jason did what Tony had done, she would have broken off the engagement as well. She had been the one to hold Lizzy all last night while she cried. It was going to be a while before she could forgive Tony for what happened.
"She had a rough night and needed some sleep. Lizzy will come here when she is ready. Why do you care anyways." Rachel snapped.
"Rachel, of course Tony cares about his girlfriend." Abby said coming to Tony's aid.
"Really, if he cared so much, he would have answered at least one of her phone calls or texts or opened the door to his hotel room when she came to see him. You don't know anything about this, Abby, so don't get in the middle. You weren't up with Lizzy half the night, holding her while she cried. Making herself sick with grief. And to top it all off, where was he when my mother was being shot in the desert? If he really cared about Lizzy, he would understand that her family is the most important thing in her life. And considering her mother's ability to slip away from her protection detail, he would have kept a very close eye on her so this, right here, wouldn't have happened!"
"Rachel, enough!" They looked up to see Gibbs there. They were all silent for moment before they all started speaking at once. "Daddy, what's happening?" Chloe asked.
"Your mom is fine. She wants to see you three and … where's Lizzy?"
"She said she'll be here when she's ready. But she didn't say where she was." Annie said.
"O.k. Don't worry about her. I have feeling I know where she is. Do you three want to see her?"
The three girls pushed their way into the room and saw their mother was still talking to Vance and SecNav. It took Jenny a moment to notice her daughter's standing in the doorway. "Hi, my beautiful girls." Jenny said with tears in her eyes.
"Assistant Director Vance, we should go and let the family talk. Director Shepard you rest and we will review the case." SecNav and Vance walked out and Gibbs walked in and closed the door.
The girls walked over to her slowly and they were afraid to hug her so they wouldn't hurt her even more. "You know you three can hug me. You won't hurt me." Rachel hugged her first although very stiffly.
When it was Annie's and Chloe's turn, they hugged her tightly and let a few tears loose. "Hey, you two. I'm o.k. I'm here. And I promise that was the last time I will ever leave my protection detail while on duty." Annie and Chloe still continued to cry but they calmed down somewhat.
"Mom, what happened?"
"Chlo, it's a long story..."
"No. you can't do that. You can't say that it's a long story from a long time ago. You almost died and we have every right to know why."
Jenny sighed and began to tell them everything except about the cancer. That part she omitted. They didn't need to add that on top of everything else. "O.k. What did the SecNav say?" Jethro asked.
"Considering how many times I broke protocol and this failure with my mission almost thirty years ago, the SecNav has decided that to suspend me until further notice. Leon Vance is now active director of NCIS."
"What?!" They all said at once.
"But you've worked so hard. That's not fair." Annie said.
"Well, even if I wasn't suspended, Vance would have taken over for a while until I was well enough to travel, which won't be until mid September. Chloe don't worry, I'm going to be in Arizona to help you move into your dorm room. And I want you two to print out pictures from your prom so I can see how much fun you two have had. And, Rachel, you and Lizzy take care of wedding details and send me emails. I want know everything going on with my girls. Speaking of Lizzy, where is she?"
"I talked to her. She's with Hetty." Gibbs said.
Meanwhile
Hetty put the phone back on the receiver and poured her third cup of tea that morning and it was only eleven. She back down and turned to the young woman. "That was your father. Your mother is awake now. He wants you to come down to the hospital and see her."
Lizzy sighed and said, "I'm not ready to see her like that, Hetty. I'll go down in a few hours when everything has calmed down a bit."
"I've been meaning to ask you to tell me about this young man that has you so smitten, but judging by the absence of engagement ring on your finger, I'm assuming the wedding is canceled."
"You would assume correctly."
"Why would you end the engagement. From what you and everyone else has told me, you two were deeply in love with one another."
"Life happened, Hetty." But that wasn't a good enough excuse for Hetty. Lizzy let out a small breath and said, "He was supposed to be part of my mother's protection detail. He didn't do his job."
"But that's not the only reason."
"No. You are way too good. Now I see why you were so good at interrogation."
"Lizzy."
"I needed him. And he wasn't there when I needed him. I know that sounds pathetic but I needed him."
"Lizzy, it's not pathetic. You wanted the man you loved to comfort and be there for you during that difficult time. Never think that you are pathetic." Hetty took a sip of her tea and said, "It's likely that your mother is going to remain in L.A. for a while due to her injuries. I will make sure that nothing happens to her and so will my agents."
"Thank you, Hetty. Do you think I can stay here until I go see my mom a bit later."
"Of course. You don't even have to ask. Now I have to go to the office. I'll pick you up later and we'll go to the hospital together. I have not seen your mother for quite some time and want to see how she is holding up."
Back at the hospital.
Jenny managed to convince everyone to go back to the hotel or their homes except for Gibbs. He had taken it upon himself to make a vigil by her bedside. If Jenny was truly honest with herself, she was very happy that Jethro had decided to stay. She always felt safest when he was close by.
They were watching Casablanca on T.V. and Jenny couldn't help but think how much that movie was so much like their lives. She loved him so much and she knew that he loved her. They were both so stubborn that they would never admit it to each other.
Jenny decided that she was going to put herself out there for one final time. Not knowing that Gibbs was thinking the exact same thing.
"Jen, I need to tell you something."
"Well, I need to tell you something."
"Let me go first. Jenny, I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, none more than with you. I put you through so much and you always forgave. And now I'm asking you to forgive me one last time. I made a mistake by filing for divorce. I never should have put you or our girls through that again. It's just at the time I was stuck in the past with Shannon and Kelly. I could feel that I loved you and our girls but I felt that I was betraying my first family. So I pushed all of you away, especially you. Jenny, I've been in love with you from that moment that you told me off the first time I gave you a sexist comment. I love you and want to be with you. It's always been you, Jenny. It's always been you."
Jenny was silent for a moment before she said, "Jethro, nothing would make me happier in this moment than for me to be your wife again. I want to be with you. I love you." Jethro kissed her passionately. They broke apart and smiled at each other. "I'll call my lawyer tomorrow. Have them stop the divorce proceedings."
"I'll call mine tomorrow too." Gibbs said before kissing her again.
They broke apart when they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. "Special Agent Gibbs, I believe Director Shepard has just been through a very traumatic experience that has left her very weak. Save that for when she has more strength." Hetty said.
Gibbs and Jenny laughed and smiled when they saw Lizzy standing there. "Lizzy, sweetheart, I'm so happy you're here. Come here." Jenny said. Lizzy walked over and hugged her mother.
"Hetty, why don't you and I get some coffee while mother and daughter talk."
"Jethro, you know I don't drink coffee, but I'll have some tea." The two walked out of the room and Lizzy sat on the edge of her mother's bed.
She was quiet and felt guilty for not being there sooner. "Baby, I'm not upset that you weren't here sooner. You're like me, you can only face a situation when you are ready and not a moment before."
"I should have been here when you first woke up but I just couldn't. I needed to sort somethings out."
"Lizzy, what did I just say. It's alright." They talked for a while about what happened to Jenny in the desert until Jenny noticed that Lizzy didn't have her ring on. "Lizzy, where is your engagement ring?" Lizzy looked down and didn't say anything. "Elizabeth, answer me." Lizzy still didn't say anything for a long while.
Eventually, Lizzy looked up and said, "Mom, I don't want to talk about it."
"Why would you end your engagement?"
"Because I had to. I need some air." Lizzy got up and walked outside. She was sitting on a bench trying to fight tears when she heard someone say, "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Lizzy."
Lizzy looked up and saw someone she had not seen for a very long time. "G Callen, I've missed you." She hugged him tightly.
"I've missed you too. How's your mom."
"She's good. Finally awake. Do you want to see her?"
"Sure. Lead the way."
It was a few days later and Gibbs was on his way back to the Washington Navy Yard. He promised Jenny that he would be back that weekend to see her. When he got there, he didn't see his team anywhere. He was about to call them when he heard, "Agent Gibbs, I need to see you in my office." He looked up to see Vance on the catwalk. Gibbs walked upstairs and saw his team there waiting for him. Once Gibbs had closed the door he began. "Officer David, your liason position with NCIS has been terminated. Pack your things, you're on way back home tomorrow. Agent McGee, you've been reassigned to the cyber crimes unit. Agent DiNozzo, you've been an agent for years but have never been an Agent Afloat. Pack a bag and report to U.S.S. Ronald Reagan at nine sharp. Agent Gibbs, meet your new team." Vance dropped three files in front of Gibbs.
Gibbs was speechless but angry beyond belief. He couldn't wait for Jenny to be back and put this bastard back in his place.
