A/N: I know that I said my last chapter would likely be my last for awhile, but here we are. In which Jenny deals with morning sickness, Gibbs tries to think of a way to help her, and Jenny asks Tony for a favour. Hope you enjoy. My updates will likely be inconsistent after this one, but I will do my best to update weekly.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs woke suddenly in the middle of the night, unsure of of what had caused his eyes to open, and when he looked to his left, he frowned. Jenny was laying next to him, but her wide eyes told him that she was anything but calm, and when he raised up to look at her in concern, she met his gaze desperately.
"Jen?"
She whimpered, her breathing heavy and frantic, and he understood at once that she was unable to move. He reached for her hand, leaning over her carefully, and tried to uncurl her fingers from the tight fist they were currently clenched in.
"Easy, Jen...it's been awhile since you've had a night like this, you know. You can do this. Do you remember what Ducky said? Take it slow, okay?"
Another soft whimper fell from her closed lips, and Gibbs slowly brushed her hair back from her face, kissing her forehead softly.
"Can you relax your hand? One thing at a time."
Hot tears were slipping from her eyes, and when she blinked, they fell faster, soaking into her hair. Her breathing was beginning to even out, and as Gibbs felt her fingers begin to relax in his hold, he gave her a smile, kissing her cheek.
"That's it, Jen. You've got this. Now, take my hand."
Slowly, she reached for his hand, her fingers locking around his, and as she drew in a panicked breath, Gibbs reached to turn on the bedside lamp. Soft light filled the room, and he pulled her to a sitting position, his eyes searching hers seriously.
"Deep breath, okay? You can do it."
As the air filled her lungs, Jenny collapsed in his arms, burying her head in his chest. She wasn't crying anymore, but her breathing was still unsteady, and when he realised just how close she was to hyperventilating, he forced her to look at him.
"Slow down, Jen. It's over now."
She reached for his hand with her left, his shirt with her right, and as he held her against him, his lips brushed over her hair gently.
"Shh...it's over. I've got you."
"I'm s-sorry," she whispered.
"Nothing to be sorry for," he assured her, "Just calm down, and we can talk more in the morning. You need to get some sleep. It's late."
Jenny nodded, curling her body as close to his as she possibly could, and though she could feel herself growing more tired, she continued to fight against the pull of sleep. She would never admit it, but the thought of waking up paralyzed again was more terrifying that she knew how to handle, and Gibbs frowned when he noticed she had tensed in his embrace.
"What is it?"
"Nothing," she lied, her voice soft in the darkness, "Just...don't let go."
Gibbs kissed her hair again, pulling the blanket more tightly around her, and gave her a gentle smile.
"Not a chance in hell, Jen."
"I love you," Jenny whispered.
"I love you more."
The first two months of her pregnancy were filled with long sleepless nights, Jenny too afraid to sleep for fear of waking up unable to move, and mornings where even the weakest scent was enough to send her running to the bathroom, her stomach churned by everything except water, green tea and saltines. Gibbs became increasingly more worried with each passing day, unsure of how to help her, and as he made his way down to the cold autopsy room, he hoped that maybe the Scottish doctor would be able to ease his mind.
"Good morning, Jethro! How are you today?"
One look at the younger man's face was all the answer that Ducky needed, and he frowned as he stepped closer.
"What's wrong?"
"Worried about Jen."
"Oh?"
Gibbs nodded, leaning carefully against the nearest metal table.
"Sick every day. Morning, afternoon, evening, doesn't matter. She can't keep anything down."
"Well, morning sickness is common, especially in the first trimester. Has she mentioned it to her doctor?"
"Don't know," he answered quietly, "But Duck...women are supposed to gain weight when they're pregnant. Jenny's losing it. She's lost at least ten pounds."
Ducky frowned, his eyes troubled, and when he spoke, there was no hiding the concern in his tone.
"Jethro, this is serious. You absolutely need to convince Jennifer to discuss this with her OBGYN. If she loses too much weight, it could be dangerous for the baby. Not to mention Jennifer herself."
Gibbs nodded, his eyes never leaving the other man's.
"I know."
The shrill ringing of Gibbs' phone shattered the silence, and when he pulled it from his pocket, he frowned at the display.
"Jen? You okay?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know that I've got an appointment at 13:45 with Dr. Lentz. He's found an alternative to the Wellbutrin, and wants to discuss it with me."
"Do you need me to come with you?"
"No," she said, her voice warm as she laughed, "Believe it or not, I am capable of managing appointments on my own. I'll let you know when I'm headed back."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, making Ducky frown, and ran his hand through his hair.
"Call if you need me."
"Always. Love you."
"Love you, too."
As soon as he hung up, Ducky wasted no time in asking if she was alright, and when Gibbs nodded, he smiled.
"On a slightly unrelated note, how have Jennifer's memory lapses been faring? Is there any improvement?"
Gibbs shrugged.
"She seems to be doing better, but she's so exhausted right now that I never know what the cause of them is. She's not sleeping more than two hours a night. Every time she wakes up, she can't move, can't speak..."
"So her sleep paralysis is getting worse," Ducky guessed, "Has she been taking any medication since she found out about the pregnancy?"
Shaking his head, Gibbs sighed.
"No. She did at first, but she was too worried that it would hurt the baby. Got an appointment today to discuss an alternative. She's...she's really worrying me, Ducky. I know she wants to do what's best for the baby, but...what about her? If she doesn't take care of herself, then—"
"I know, Jethro," Ducky interrupted gently, "And you're absolutely right. The only issue is how to convince Jennifer of that. You know how stubborn she is."
As he laughed, the sound slightly bitter, Gibbs nodded. He definitely knew just how stubborn Jennifer Shepard could be when she set her mind to it.
For the first time since Dr. Lentz had begun seeing Jenny Shepard, she didn't speak to him as she walked into his office. She sat silently in the chair across from his desk, hardly sparing him a second glance when he inquired after her day, and he frowned as he made a small note in his file.
"Is everything alright?"
She shrugged, still not looking at him, and he made another note, his eye concerned. Jenny had always put on a brave face during her sessions, regardless of the fact that she sometimes felt like screaming, and her lack of effort now was odd and (if he were honest) slightly alarming. He studied her carefully, noting her paleness, the dark circles under her eyes, and the way she almost curled up in the chair, causing him to frown again.
"Jenny? What's wrong?"
Sighing, Jenny finally looked at him, and shook her head, her hair falling around her shoulders.
"I don't know. Nothing has happened, everything is going good as far as the pregnancy goes, but I just...Dr. Lentz, what's the point?"
"Of?"
"Everything. Getting up, going to work, saving up money...life. I don't understand what the reason is. It doesn't last, so aren't we essentially just wasting time? Prolonging the inevitable?"
Looking at her seriously, Dr. Lentz straightened in his chair, trying to catch her eyes.
"Jenny...you don't want your life to stop. Do you?"
She shrugged again, and he shook his head.
"That isn't an answer."
His words, so like Gibbs, almost made her smile, but it wasn't enough.
"I don't have the answer to that," she said honestly, "but if a car were to be coming my way, I wouldn't move."
"What about your baby? You wouldn't want to hurt an innocent child, would you?"
She shook her head slowly, but even from where he sat, Dr. Lentz could see the pain in her eyes.
"No. I have three people that I think of to stop myself. If it weren't for them, I—I don't think I would still be here."
Dr. Lentz nodded, giving her a smile.
"Jethro, Doctor Mallard, and the baby?"
"Exactly," she said quietly, nodding once, "I couldn't...I couldn't do that to them. I don't want to hurt them."
"I'm glad of that, Jenny. I don't want to see you do anything that could hurt you or anyone else. On a different note, have you scheduled an appointment to learn the sex of the baby yet?"
She shook her head.
"I'd rather not know. We've decided on a few names, though."
"That's good. What are they?"
"Charlotte if it's a girl, Matthew if it's a boy."
Dr. Lentz smiled, making another note in his file.
"Now, I know we discussed an alternative to the Wellbutrin, and it's definitely something I want to try, given how your mood has been today. You seem to be having more depressive episodes lately, and I want to do everything we possibly can to make those lessen and be easier for you. So what I'm going to do is write out this prescription, and I want you to come back in two weeks so we can reevaluate where we are. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at any time."
Jenny nodded, and just as she was preparing to stand from the chair, Dr. Lentz said her name, the urgency in his voice making her pause.
"Jenny...if you walk out of this room right now, are you going to be safe? I need to know that you're not going to do anything dangerous."
She was silent for a long moment, and finally nodded, raising her eyes to his. Their hollow distance did little to ease his worry, and he frowned at her next words.
"I'll be okay. I always am."
Though he couldn't physically stop the redhead from leaving, Dr. Lentz was saddened to discover that her answer made him worry even more than he had before.
When Jenny returned to her office, she was surprised to see an unopened bottle of green tea sitting on her desk, and she laughed quietly as she saw the note propped up against it.
Hope Charlotte/Matthew lets you enjoy this.
She rolled her eyes as she folded the paper and placed it into her purse, careful not to throw it away for fear of someone noticing it in the trash bin. Not that most people would have been able to decipher its meaning, but Jenny wasn't willing to take any chances. Not yet. She opened the bottle slowly, taking a drink, and as soon as she had placed it back on the desk, her phone rang, causing her to jump slightly.
"Shepard."
"How'd the appointment go?"
She smiled, touched that Gibbs had called, and sat down in her chair, pulling her jacket tighter around her body.
"Fine. You'll be pleased to know that I have an alternative to Wellbutrin. I'll pick it up as soon as it's ready."
"What time? I have a few things I need to pick up, I could get it for you."
"Around 17:45. I just figured we could stop after work."
"Fair enough. I'll let you get back to whatever it is you do all day."
Jenny laughed, shaking her head slowly.
"You mean sitting in my chair, drinking tea? I'll get right on it."
She hung up, still shivering in the cold of her office, and when she stood up to close the blinds, a wave of dizziness caused her to stumble, and her hand grabbed the edge of her desk tightly.
"Fuck," she whispered.
It took longer than she would have thought for her vision to clear, and as she felt that familiar nausea taking over her body, she moaned quietly. She threw her hand over her mouth, reaching for the trash bin under her desk, and as she emptied the sparse contents of her stomach, she closed her eyes tightly. While she knew morning sickness was common in pregnancy, even Jenny was beginning to think that this was abnormal, and as she finally straightened, she ran a hand shakily through her hair.
The quiet knock at her door caused her to jump, and when Ducky stuck his head around the corner, Jenny gave him a tired smile.
"Ducky. Come in."
"Good afternoon, Jennifer. How are you?"
She rolled her eyes, and as he took a seat on her couch, the doctor thought he could detect a sheen of tears lingering in the bright irises.
"Still not feeling well, I see?"
Sighing, Jenny walked over to the couch, sitting down next to him, and when he noticed that her clothing was indeed loosely clinging to her thin frame, he frowned.
"You've lost weight," he remarked, trying to keep his tone light.
She nodded.
"I can't keep anything down, Ducky. I literally just threw up tea. Not the most pleasant of experiences."
"No, I imagine not. Have you spoken to your OBGYN about this?"
Jenny sighed, nodding slowly.
"She said that it can be common in the first two months, but that everything should even out. As long as I don't work too long, stay hydrated, and sleep at night, I should be okay. The baby is fine, too. Just a picky eater, apparently."
Ducky smiled, resting his hand on her knee gently, and kissed her cheek.
"Just remember that it will all be worth it. When you look into those big blue eyes, none of this discomfort will matter."
"How do you know the baby will have blue eyes?"
"With Jethro having such eyes, you really believe otherwise?"
Jenny laughed, nodding again, and laid her head tiredly on his shoulder.
"I hope you're right, Ducky. Jethro has the most stunning blue eyes I've ever seen."
As Jenny sat on her couch that evening, she frowned at the coldness of the room, reaching up to pull a blanket down from the back of the furniture. She had just finished draping it over herself when Aries jumped up into her lap, burying himself under the soft fabric, and she laughed when he laid his head on her stomach. Though the puppy had always been attached to her, always protective, he had refused to leave her side in the past two months, even going so far as to growl at Gibbs if he moved too quickly. She knew he could sense something had changed, and it never failed to make her smile each time he curled up close, his body warming her more than the fire ever could.
The opening of the front door caused Aries to raise up from his position on her lap, but when he realised that there was no immediate threat to Jenny, he laid back down, closing his eyes slowly. Gibbs tilted his head curiously at the sight, and when Jenny noticed the confusion in his eyes, she laughed softly.
"He's guarding the baby," she explained, indicating the position of his head, "He's been such a good boy while you were gone."
Gibbs rolled his eyes, sitting slowly next to her, pulling her legs into his lap.
"He's a demon, Jen. I keep trying to tell you that."
Jenny glared at him, petting Aries gently, and when Gibbs noticed the sleeve of saltines sitting on the table, he met her eyes seriously.
"Have you eaten anything else today?"
She shook her head, and he reached for her hand.
"Jen—"
"I know...but everything makes me sick now. This is all your fault, you know. Only you would have a child that refuses to eat anything but saltines and green tea. Stubborn brat."
He laughed, still holding her hand, and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.
"Me, or the kid?"
"Both," Jenny snapped jokingly.
She tensed suddenly, her grip on his hand tightening, and he frowned at the expression on her face. It was a combination of surprise and fear, and he looked at her seriously, his eyes never leaving hers.
"What is it?"
"I...I felt it. The baby. The baby moved. That's the first time I...oh, my god..."
He smiled as she pulled him closer, placing his hand on her stomach, and when he felt the movement under his fingers, he couldn't stop the tears that filled his eyes. This was his child. His and Jenny's...something he never thought would be a reality, and when the baby moved again, he glanced up at her, not at all surprised to see tears in her eyes as well.
"Jethro..." she whispered, "This is...holy shit, this is real. It didn't seem...it all still felt like a dream, but feeling him move...it makes it so much more real."
Gibbs kissed her, running his free hand through her hair, and when he realised what she'd said, he frowned.
"Him? How do you know it's not a girl?"
Jenny shook her head, her eyes thoughtful.
"I don't know," she admitted, "I just have a feeling that we have a Matthew instead of a Charlotte."
"Well, either way, this picky little eater is going to be the most spoiled baby on the planet."
Jenny laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder, and nodded.
"Definitely. You really think Abby would settle for anything less?"
Gibbs nodded, his expression thoughtful, and when he spoke again, the redhead could hear his hesitation as clear as a bell.
"About that...when do you want to tell the team? You know they're going to ask, and I think it would be better if they heard it from us instead of the rumour mill."
She shrugged, running her hand lightly over Aries' head, and sighed.
"Sooner rather than later, I guess. I mean, eventually, I won't be able to hide it with baggy clothes."
"True. That's if you ever start gaining any weight. I'm serious, Jen, you have to at least try to eat something other than saltine crackers. Please."
Though she knew he'd been worried before, his use of the word "please" told Jenny just how serious he was. She reached for his hand, gently entwining their fingers, and when she kissed him, Gibbs immediately wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.
"I love you."
"I love you, too," she said softly, "and our baby is the luckiest baby in the universe because they'll have you for a father."
"And you for a mother."
She shook her head, causing him to frown, and he met her eyes seriously, trying to understand what she'd meant.
"Why not?"
"I'm going to mess this up, Jethro. I just know I'm not meant to be a mother. What if—what if the baby inherits my bipolar disorder? I know how hard it can be, living with this, and if I passed that to Matthew or Charlotte..."
"Even if you did, you would be able to give the baby love, support, and understanding. That's all any child wants from their parents, and you definitely excel in that. Any child would be lucky to have you as their mother, Jen. And yeah, you'll mess up. I will, too. That's all part of raising a child. No one is perfect, and expecting yourself to be is unrealistic."
Jenny sighed, shaking her head again.
"You don't understand. Everyone else's "good enough" isn't equal to my best. I have to be perfect just to measure up."
Gibbs held her tighter, pressing his lips to her temple softly.
"That's really what you think?" he asked gently.
When she nodded, he kissed her again, running his hand over her hair slowly.
"Oh, Jen...you don't know how wrong you are."
The soft crackle of the fire provided a comforting backdrop to the answering kiss that Jenny gave him.
Gibbs frowned when he finished pouring his coffee and Jenny still hadn't joined him in the kitchen. He knew she hadn't slept much the previous night, but he honestly thought that she would have gotten used to the constant exhaustion after so long of experiencing it. He made his way back up the stairs, and when he pushed open the bedroom door, he found her still under the blankets, though her eyes were open.
"Jenny?"
She didn't answer, and when he sat down on the bed, she shifted just enough to give him room to be comfortable. He laid his hand on her shoulder, and she still didn't move, not even raising her eyes to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said quietly, her voice dull and lifeless.
He frowned, not believing her for a moment, and when he reached out to run his fingers through her hair, she moved away from him.
"Jen, something is bothering you. How can I help?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Nodding, he reached out to wrap the blanket more securely around her, and when she inquired about his reasoning, he gave her a smile.
"You were shivering. Thought I would make you a bit warmer."
Jenny didn't answer, and to his immense surprise, she didn't say a word as he pulled out his phone to call Cynthia and tell her that the Director wouldn't be reporting to work that day. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the crushing thoughts in her head, and as he leaned down to kiss her, Gibbs frowned.
"Would you like me to stay with you?"
She shook her head slowly, her eyes still closed.
"No, thank you. I think I need to be alone for awhile."
He kissed her hair gently before leaving, and when he returned to the bedroom five minutes later, carrying a steaming mug of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and cinnamon, she was more confused than ever.
"Hope this helps," he said by way of explanation.
He kissed her again, and just before he reached the door, Jenny raised up to look at him for the first time, her green eyes bright in the darkness.
"Jethro?"
He turned, his cobalt blue eyes locking on hers, and she looked at him seriously.
"Thank you. For everything."
"Anytime," he answered with a smile, "I love you, Jen."
"I love you, too."
Jenny was only able to drink half of the hot chocolate that Gibbs had made for her, but she was so touched by the gesture that she had already decided not to tell him that particular detail. She'd lain back down in the bed, comforted by the feeling of Aries' soft breathing as he slept next to her, and when she drifted off half an hour later, her dreams were thankfully peaceful. She would never tell Gibbs, but she'd been struggling more each day with her own feelings of incompetence, with the terrifying thought that she was going to be a terrible mother, and it had gotten to the point where she could no longer ignore it.
When she opened her eyes a few hours later, her eyes darted around the room, her breathing fast and heavy, and she fought to keep her panic under control. She tried to remind herself that this would pass, that she would be able to move soon, but when her muffled scream fell from her closed lips, Aries raised up to look at her curiously. Tears fell from her eyes as she struggled to breathe, and she tried in vain to move her fingers.
The seconds passed agonisingly slow, Jenny's fear growing stronger each moment she couldn't move, and she tried to imagine what Gibbs would tell her if he were next to her.
Just breathe, Jen. Take it slow, and don't try to rush yourself.
She could hear his voice in her mind as clearly as if he were in the room, and it was enough to calm her as she slowly moved her fingers. When she was finally able to move, she reached for her phone with freezing and numb hands, shaking as she held it to her ear.
"Yeah. Gibbs."
"Are you busy?"
"Definitely. Hard at work, and certainly not just sitting at my desk drinking coffee."
His sarcasm made her smile, and when he spoke again, she could hear the warmth in his voice.
"No, not really. Is everything okay?"
"I just...I wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to take care of me like that, but I really appreciate it."
"Of course I did, Jen," he answered as though it were obvious, "You're my fiancée, the mother of my child, and more importantly, you're my boss that could fire me if I pissed you off."
She laughed, pulling Aries closer, not even noticing his slip of the tongue, and she smiled as she held the sleeping puppy close to her.
"You do make a very convincing argument, Agent Gibbs. I'll see you when you get home. Be safe."
"Always am, Director Shepard."
"I love you."
She hung up, knowing that he wouldn't have replied in kind while at the office anyway, and when her phone vibrated seconds later, she shook her head with a small smile.
I love you more, Jen.
Not a chance, Jethro.
Turning over to lay more comfortably under the blankets, Jenny held Aries close to her body, and within minutes, she had fallen asleep again, her previous fear forgotten.
As soon as Gibbs hung up his phone, he could feel the eyes of his team watching him, following his every move as he reached for his cup of coffee. He did his best to ignore it, and when he could finally stand it no longer, he rolled his eyes, raising them to glare at the younger agents.
"What?"
"Um...boss, is...is the Director pregnant?"
His cup stopped halfway on its journey to his mouth, and he stared at Tony as though he'd never seen him before.
"Excuse me?"
"Just now...on the phone...you, uh...you said that Director Shepard was your fiancée and the mother of your child, so we were just..."
Gibbs sighed, running his hand through his hair, and slowly nodded.
"Yeah. She is. But keep it need to know."
Tony swore softly, and McGee smiled, unable to keep his excitement from his eyes. Ziva allowed herself a small smile as she imagined what the child of Gibbs and Jenny would look like, and when she suddenly remembered something, she laughed.
"What's so funny, Zee-vah?"
"My first year working here...do you remember that woman who used the computer software to predict what her future child would look like? We matched Gibbs and the Director. Now we'll get to see the real thing."
Tony's eyes widened, and McGee laughed quietly, shaking his head.
"I forgot all about that. That's awesome!" Tony said.
Gibbs rolled his eyes, returning his attention to his coffee, and prayed for a case. Something...anything to distract him from the smug look on his Senior Field Agent's face.
As soon as he opened the front door, Gibbs smiled at the sight of Jenny sitting on the couch, phone in hand, speaking to someone in a tone that he would almost have described as patronising. She glanced up at him when he shut the door, and he nodded at her by way of a greeting. She waved, smiling when he came to sit next to her, and as he pulled her legs across his lap, Aries growled at him quietly.
"Heather, hold on. Aries, stop growling at Daddy. He's not bothering me."
The puppy laid back down on the floor, still looking at Gibbs with distrust, and he laughed quietly.
"Overprotective brat."
Jenny glared at him, smacking his arm lightly.
"Hush. I'm on the phone. Sorry, what were you saying?"
Though he was glad that Jenny had actually accepted her sister's call, Gibbs couldn't deny that he was a bit suspicious of the younger Shepard. She'd never reached out to Jenny unless she needed something, and he wondered at her motivations now. Once she had ended the conversation, Jenny gave both Aries and Gibbs an annoyed look, and the former marine pointed to the dog quickly.
"Your little monster started it."
Jenny laughed, leaning over to kiss him, and when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, she smiled.
"Jethro, can Aries and I stay with you for a bit?"
"You're my fiancée, you can stay with me forever if you want. But why? What's going on?"
"Heather's going to stay at my place for a bit."
He frowned, looking at her seriously.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? She's an addict, she hasn't been sober for—"
"I know, but if I don't give her the chance to redeem herself, I'm no better than anyone else in her life. She's my sister. I have to at least try."
"Hide your valuables."
"Already taken care of," Jenny assured him, "I've locked everything up and I'm going to take it to my office tomorrow."
Gibbs frowned, still unsure about the idea, and he shook his head slowly.
"I don't like it. You shouldn't put yourself under any additional stress, it's not good for you or the baby—"
"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I can't take care of myself. I'm not an invalid, and if—"
"I didn't say you were, but your sister has a history of using you, or at least trying to, and I just don't want this to be a repeat."
Jenny shook her head, looking so much more exhausted than he'd seen her look in years, and her voice was pained when she spoke.
"Don't, Jethro. Not now. I don't want to fight with you. Please."
He nodded, pulling her closer, and pressed his lips to the side of her head, warm in the long red strands.
"Just be safe, Jen. That's all I care about. Your safety, and Matthew's. Nothing else matters."
A smile suddenly came over the redhead's face, and when she laughed quietly, Gibbs frowned, looking down at her in confusion.
"Care to share?"
"You called the baby Matthew. Does that mean you've accepted that I'm right?"
He shrugged, kissing her again.
"Sometimes, it's just better to let you win."
"Damn straight."
Jenny could feel the eyes following her as she walked up the stairs leading to the catwalk, and as she reached the top, she turned, curious as to what she would find. Gibbs was nowhere to be found, and the redhead could only assume that she'd been watched by one Tony DiNozzo, smirking as he ducked down to avoid being noticed.
"DiNozzo!"
He jumped at the sound of her voice, and when he glanced up at her again, she hooked her finger at him, beckoning him to follow her. He did as she asked, jumping up from his chair to practically sprint up the steps, and when he ran in front of her to open her office door, Jenny frowned at the uncharacteristic chivalry.
"Thank you," she said quietly, her tone slightly bewildered.
"You're welcome."
As she sat down behind her desk, she could sense his nervousness, no doubt embarrassed at having been caught staring, and she was determined to use that to her advantage.
"I have a favour to ask you, Tony."
He nodded.
"Name it."
"My sister is staying at my house for awhile. I'd like you to occasionally stop by and check on her. Make sure everything is in its place, see if she needs anything."
"Okay...but, with all due respect, why? Don't you trust Gibbs to do it?"
Jenny shook her head.
"It's not that simple. Heather is a recovering addict, and she doesn't get along well with Gibbs. They clashed pretty roughly when they met, and I'd rather not risk it happening again."
"And if I may ask, the reason you're not doing it yourself?"
Jenny knew he was baiting her, waiting for her to admit to the pregnancy, and she gave him a knowing smile as she shook her head.
"Need to know, DiNozzo."
Sensing that this was all the confirmation he was going to get, Tony nodded, frowning as he stood up.
"What should I tell Gibbs?"
"You let me worry about Jethro. If he gives you any grief, I'll take the keys to his truck and toss them in the Anacostia."
Tony whistled, shaking his head as he laughed.
"Remind me to never cross you, Jenny."
"Consider yourself reminded. And Tony?"
He turned, his hand on the door, and she smiled as she reached for the bottle of green tea on her desk.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure, Director."
Heather Shepard glared at the Senior Field Agent as he stepped through her sister's front door, only allowing him inside after he'd shown her the badge clipped to his belt. He tried to not let her icy stare bother him, but she so strongly resembled Jenny that it was enough to get underneath his skin in the worst way. Though Jenny hadn't asked him to, Tony found himself making a mental list of the items in her living room, committing it to memory for his next visit. He knew it wasn't uncommon for people in recovery to relapse, and he didn't want any of his boss's belongings to turn up missing later.
"What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Jenny wanted me to check and make sure that you were okay. See if you needed anything. She's got meetings all day, otherwise she'd have done it herself."
Okay, so that last part was a lie, but Heather didn't really need to know that. She looked at him skeptically as he waited for her to speak, and he sighed.
"So...do you need anything?"
"Yeah, I need you to go away and stop pestering me."
Damn. He'd always thought Jenny had a quick temper, but he could clearly see now that he was fortunate enough to work for the nicer of the two sisters. He nodded once, making his way back to the door, and as he locked it behind him, he pulled out his phone, dialing quickly.
"Shepard."
"Your sister sure doesn't like people, does she, Director?"
Jenny laughed.
"How bad was she?"
"Bad enough. Practically threw me out. Is she always like that?"
He could almost see the redhead laughing, and as he climbed back into his car, he sighed.
"No, she wasn't always like that. That's all the drugs in her system talking. Or the withdrawals, depending on which stage she's in."
"Good to know. I'm on my way back."
"I really do appreciate this, Tony. Thank you."
He smiled, throwing the car in gear and turning up the heater.
"You're welcome, Jenny."
As he drove back to the Navy Yard, Tony found himself laughing at the very idea of Gibbs interacting with Heather Shepard. No wonder Jenny had asked him to go in his place. The team leader likely would have killed her.
"Where's DiNozzo?"
"He said he was going to take care of something for the Director," Ziva replied, looking at Gibbs over the book she was reading.
"When is he coming back?"
"I do not know," she answered.
Gibbs rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and making his way up the stairs, fully preparing to ask Jenny just who she thought she was, and when he nearly collided with her as she stepped out of her office, he glared at her.
"My Senior Field Agent isn't here. You know anything about that?"
She gestured for him to follow her, and as they stepped into the elevator, Jenny hit the emergency stop, plunging them into darkness.
"I asked him to check on Heather."
"Why him?"
"Because you don't get along with her, and I don't feel safe alone with her."
He frowned, looking into her eyes seriously.
"Why not?"
She sighed, running her hand through her hair, and Gibbs took a step closer to her, forcing her to look up at him.
"The last time she tried to get clean, when she went through withdrawals, I tried to keep her from leaving the house to buy more drugs. She completely freaked out, held a kitchen knife to my throat, and threatened to kill me if I didn't leave her alone. I don't know what she's capable of now, and there's too much at stake if she were to follow through with a threat like that. I couldn't risk her doing anything that could hurt our baby."
"How old were you?"
"Twenty-five."
He nodded, still impossibly close to her.
"You've got more training now though, Jen. You're one of the best agents I've ever worked with, and I don't doubt for a second that you could take her down."
She shook her head.
"I couldn't. She's my sister. I love her."
"Sure you could."
"Could you?" she asked, looking at him with eyes that were bright with tears, "If were me, could you do it?"
He pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her forehead, and when he ran his fingers through her hair, she closed her eyes. Gibbs placed his free hand on her stomach, feeling the slight movements of the tiny life they'd created, and he kissed her gently, never more sure of anything than he was at that moment.
"To save you, I could do anything," he whispered.
A/N: Aww...Gibbs is so sweet and fiercely protective of the people he loves.