Disclaimer: If you haven't seen 17.18 "Schooled" yet, then please refrain from reading this chapter until after you've seen the episode so that things aren't spoiled for you. If you've seen the above mentioned episode then feel free to read the chapter.


The case that had brought Jenny and Gibbs back to NCIS as well as back to their former roles within the agency had come to a close shortly after the engagement. On the last day of the case while everyone was putting the finishing touches on their paper work, Jenny observed the way Gibbs was acting around Jack. At one point on that day, Jenny took to standing at a familiar place on the catwalk in front of MTAC when she was joined by her successor.

"What's on your mind, Jen?" Vance asked.

"I was just wondering what was going on with them…" Jenny replied as she directed Vance's attention to her fiancé and Jack.

As Vance looked down to where his friends were talking with each, it took all of a second of watching Gibbs and Jack for Vance know exactly why Gibbs was looking at Jack the way he was. Knowing full well about Jack's past; Vance knew that he wasn't the one to share that part about Jack with Jenny. He also knew that Jack must have told Gibbs at one point about her past.

"I'm not at liberty to share that bit of information with you, Jen."

"If it concerns Jethro, then it concerns me; Leon."

There was a pause in the conversation between the two Directors.

"I get your concern, Jen; I do. You know Jethro better than anyone else, trust him."

In that moment, Jenny knew or at least she surmised what was going on. Jenny knew that if she wanted answers that she would have to go straight to the source. Vance left Jenny seconds before Jenny opted to get the answers she was looking for as she saw Jack make her way to her office. While Jack climbed the stairs to her office, Gibbs went to get coffee from the diner. Gibbs looked up to Jenny to see if she needed anything while he was out. By the look on Jenny's face, Gibbs figured that Jenny could use a cup. Once the elevator doors closed in front of Gibbs, Jenny made her way to Jack's office.

"I see that Gibbs has rubbed off on you… Come on in." Jack quipped.

Jenny held back a cheshire cat grin as she made her way into Jack's office.

"Maybe he has…" Jenny said.

"So since you barged in, what can I do for you?"

Both women knew that Jack was making use of her psychology background at the moment. Jenny took a deep breath before she said anything.

"Why is Jethro looking at you like a fragile teacup?"

Now it was Jack's turn to take a deep breath as Jenny took a seat on the couch in Jack's office. Jack got up from her desk to close her office door before she joined Jenny on the couch.

"What's going on, Jack?" Jenny asked again.

It was then that Jenny could see that what Jack was about to share was something that was big so to speak.

"Jethro has the tendency to look at me like I'm a fragile teacup because he is one of a small group of people that knows about my past…"

Jenny was then able to read where this conversation was going as she looked at Jack.

"Faith…?"

Jack nodded in confirmation.

"When?"

"Sophomore year of college, I was nineteen when it happened."

Jack could tell that it was a lot for Jenny to take in just as it was a lot for Jethro and Faith all those years ago when she had revealed her past to them. Jenny didn't to need to know anymore of the details. What had been revealed was enough to enrage Jenny and make her sympathetic to Jack.

Before Jenny could say anything, Jack saw the same I'm going to kill the bastard look that Gibbs first had all those years ago and it was mixed with the I am so sorry that this happened to you look that Faith had.

"I know what you're thinking, Jen. Don't worry, I am fine and Faith hasn't had anything to do with her biological father since she went to him for his medical history. And surprisingly enough he hasn't reached out to Faith since that day either."

All Jenny could do was give Jack a hug.

"And please don't do anything rash in regards to all of this, Jen. It's in the past where it should be." Jack said as Jenny made her way to leave Jack's office.

"I won't… I'm not as rash as Jethro."

Jack laughed.

"Not from what I heard…"

Jenny knew full well what Jack was referring to.

"Ducky told you about the Meyers case…"

"That and I read the case file." Jack said with a smirk on her face.

"Like I said to Ducky that day; Jethro was my partner for a long time, I couldn't just sit around and do nothing."

"Plus your maternal side came out because you didn't want the twins to be without their father in case, God forbid, something happened to Gibbs during the case even though he didn't know about them back then."

On that note, Jenny nodded and returned to the bull pen downstairs. When she had gotten downstairs Gibbs had her cup of coffee waiting for her near the corner of what use to be his desk.

In tried and true Gibbs fashion, Gibbs spoke.

"She told you?"

"Yeah."


A/N: This chapter much like 17.18 "Schooled" was a tough thing to get through due to the subject matter at hand.