A/N: There's a bit of a time jump in this one, but it's not huge. In which Jenny and Gibbs deal with a difficult anniversary, Gibbs deals with an injury, and Jenny tells him the one thing that might just make him stop being grouchy. Enjoy!
To suggest that Jenny Shepard-Gibbs was in a bad mood and had been from the moment she'd opened her eyes would have been stupid, and Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not a stupid man, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. He didn't dare ask her what was bothering her, opting instead to keep his distance, and in his stead he (rather immaturely, he had to admit) had sent his second in command to deliver any paperwork she'd requested that day. He glanced up at the catwalk as Tony returned from her office, muttering under his breath, and when he reached his desk, he threw himself into the chair with an annoyed huff. Gibbs raised his eyebrows in amusement, and reached for his coffee with a slight smile, shaking his head.
"Problem, DiNozzo?"
Tony thought for a moment before answering, trying to decide whether or not to be honest, and finally he shook his head.
"No, boss."
It had been quite some time since Jenny had been in such a foul mood while in the office, and when the phone rang on his desk, Gibbs was relieved for the distraction. He answered it quickly, leaning back slightly in his chair, and fought the urge to prop his feet up on the desk.
"Yeah. Gibbs."
"Jethro, is everything alright with Jennifer?"
He smirked, barely containing his laughter.
"I don't know. Haven't spoken to her since we got here. Why?"
"I just called her to let her know that I'd mistakenly put the incorrect date on my report, and she...well, she got a bit short with me. Nearly bit my head off, to put it bluntly."
Gibbs finally laughed, glancing at his calendar idly, thinking that perhaps he might know the exact reason the redhead was on the warpath, and when his eyes landed on the date, they widened. Surely, he was wrong. He'd looked at the wrong week. Yes, that was it. It had to be.
"Ducky, what is today?"
"Tuesday," came the reply, "Why?"
"No, the date."
"The ninth. Is something wrong?"
Gibbs swore quietly, hanging up his phone, and stood quickly, making a mad dash for the stairs. He knew exactly why Jenny was so angry, and as he took the stairs two at a time, he cursed himself for losing track of the days. How could he have been so stupid? He threw her office door open, ignoring the look Cynthia sent him, and when he realized she wasn't in, he frowned, making his way back to her assistant's desk. That explained the look, then.
"How long has she been gone?"
"Less than five minutes. She said she was just going to get coffee. Is something wrong, Agent Gibbs?"
He didn't answer, making his way to the elevator, hoping she hadn't decided to leave the building for her coffee. Assuming, of course, that she wasn't lying about her destination. As soon as he was back on immobile ground, he began walking as fast as he could, feeling an immense relief when he saw her standing in the break room, pouring coffee into her cup. She turned around, swearing loudly when she noticed him standing in the doorway, and gave him a glare worthy of his own.
"God damnit, Jethro! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
He ignored her words, looking at her seriously.
"Need to talk to you."
She sighed.
"What did you do now?"
"Nothing."
He waited for her to place the lid back on her cup before nodding his head in the direction of the hallway, and as they walked, she was acutely aware of his eyes watching her. Deliberately avoiding the elevator, Jenny walked briskly up the steps, not wanting to give him a chance to corner her in the lift, and as they neared her office, Cynthia gave her a knowing smile.
"I see you found her, Agent Gibbs."
"Caught her trying to climb out the window," he deadpanned.
Jenny rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to follow her into her office, and as soon as the door closed behind them, she gave him a long look.
"Well?"
"Why didn't you say something?" he asked, trying to catch her eyes.
She refused to meet his gaze, feigning ignorance, and made her way around her desk, looking out the window, at the carpet, at her coffee, anywhere but him.
"Jen, talk to me. Why didn't you say something this morning?"
She shook her head, blinking in an effort to keep her emotions in check, and he walked around to the other side of her desk, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Is this why you've been making everyone in the building fear for their lives?"
Nodding, Jenny finally turned to face him, still keeping her eyes locked on the ground, and he shook his head sadly.
"It's okay to be upset, you know. No one in the world would think less of you."
"It isn't fair," she said, her voice shaking, "We should be celebrating his birthday with him. Buying presents that he won't even play with because he's more entertained by the wrapping paper and boxes, watching him get cake all over his tiny little face and hands."
Gibbs ran his fingers lightly over her face, feeling her shake with barely-restrained emotion, and frowned.
"Look at me, Jen. Please."
Finally, she raised her eyes to his, so impossibly green in the light, and he kissed her forehead softly, letting his lips linger on her skin longer than was strictly necessary.
"I should have remembered," he said gently, "the days got away from me."
She shook her head, moving close enough that she could bury her face in his chest, doing everything in her power to keep her tears from falling.
"It isn't your fault," she whispered, "I wish I could have done the same."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he could, and when he felt her shaking in his embrace, he kissed her hair.
"We're going to get through this. Why don't we call it an early day and go visit him? Would that help?"
She frowned, considering his suggestion, and finally nodded, pulling back to look at him slowly. He gave her a gentle smile, unable to believe that she'd actually agreed to leave the office, and when she picked up her cell phone and placed it in her pocket, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. As they passed Cynthia, Jenny paused, looking at the younger woman seriously, and tried to keep her voice steady.
"Cynthia, cancel all of my appointments for today, please."
"Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"
"No, thank you. Have a good day."
Cynthia nodded, giving her an understanding smile.
"You do the same, Director. Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs nodded at her, and as they walked to the elevator, he pulled out his phone to text Tony.
Heading out for the day. You're in charge. Don't want to be disturbed.
He didn't even wait for a response before turning off his phone, and as they stepped into the lift, he pretended like he didn't notice the shocked look his wife was giving him.
The morning was already seasonably warm as they walked through the cemetery, and Gibbs never once moved his hand from Jenny's lower back, his touch providing a security and strength that he knew she needed. Stopping at the headstone, Jenny knelt down in the soft grass, not even sparing a thought for her clothing, and ran her fingers gently over the warm stone, smiling sadly.
"Happy birthday, baby," she whispered, "I can't believe it's already been two years. It seems like so much longer, and yet it seems like it was only yesterday. I hope you know just how much we love you, and we think of you every single day."
Gibbs moved to sit behind her, his hand on her shoulder, and spoke in that quiet voice that is always reserved for cemeteries.
"You would have been two today, Matthew, and no matter how I try to make sense of it, I can't. I hope Kelly gave you the biggest hug today and that it was special, no matter where you are. I'm so sorry that you never got to experience a birthday, or even open your eyes, but we will always love you."
Jenny turned to lay her head on his shoulder, her tears falling slowly, and Gibbs ran his fingers over the headstone carefully, tracing the smooth letters.
"It isn't fair, Jethro," she whispered.
He nodded.
"I know."
They lapsed into silence again, both trying to sort through their grief in their own ways, and as he held Jenny in his arms, he struggled to keep his tears from falling. Over an hour passed with them saying nothing, and when they finally left the cemetery, Jenny clung to his hand so tightly that Gibbs began to lose sensation in his fingers.
The soft music filled the living room as Jenny's fingers moved over the piano keys, Aries laying underneath the piano bench, and when she reached for the glass of wine sitting on the table next to her, she tried to pretend her hand wasn't shaking. It was her second glass of the night, and though she wanted nothing more than to drown her pain in alcohol, she knew it was for the best if she kept her intake to a minimum. Gibbs had retreated to the basement three hours ago, needing to focus on something other than the pain of his son's birthday, and as much as she wanted to talk to him, Jenny had given him the space he needed.
She could feel the warmth of the little dog at her feet and the unconditional love she felt both for and from him made her smile, helping to ease the pain ever so slightly. She set the glass down, beginning to play again, and without even realising it, she'd begun to play a lullaby that her mother had once sung to her and Heather in one of the few rare moments of her childhood that hadn't been filled with fear at the hands the older woman. It fell easily from her fingers, filling the air around her, and as she kept playing, she pretended she didn't hear the basement door opening.
His footsteps came steadily up the stairs, stopping as he reached the living room, and when he came up behind her, she still didn't turn around, her fingers gliding over the keys easily. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and as she finally looked at him, he was taken aback by the pain in her eyes.
"What are you playing?"
She shrugged.
"I don't think it has a name. Morgan used to sing it to Heather and me when we were younger."
"It's beautiful," he said sincerely, "you should play it for Zelda sometime."
Jenny nodded, but he could tell her heart wasn't really in it right now. He moved his hands to her hair, gently combing out the tangled red strands, and when she suddenly stood, he frowned.
"It's late," she said quietly, "are you coming to bed, or staying in the basement?"
He reached for her hand, pulling her to the stairs, and as Aries followed them, Jenny shook her head in slight amusement.
"We have a shadow following us."
Gibbs glanced down and nodded.
"Yep. An annoying shadow."
"He's cute, though."
"Fine, he's cute," Gibbs conceded, "but he's still a monster."
Jenny laughed.
"You love him and you know it."
His silence was answer enough.
Almost a week to the day after Matthew's birthday, Jenny was sitting in her office, cup of coffee in her hand, trying to figure out how her life had taken such a drastic turn. She'd just gotten word from Tony DiNozzo that Gibbs had been shot on a case, and while he'd made sure to tell her that the injury wasn't life-threatening, it was still enough to make her nervous. Even when he'd only been her partner, she'd always cared deeply for him, and that hadn't diminished in the nearly-fifteen years that she'd known him. Add to that the news that she'd just received, and it was making for a very stressful day indeed.
A quiet knock on her door made her glance up from the cup she'd been staring blankly into, and as she shook her head, she took a deep breath.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing the Scottish doctor, who gave her a reassuring smile in spite of the situation, and when she didn't return it, he frowned. Making his way to the chair opposite her desk, he sat down slowly, looking her over, and when he noticed the way she refused to make eye contact, he tilted his head curiously.
"Are you alright, Jennifer?"
She nodded, but her eyes told a different story, making Ducky even more confused than he'd been when she'd requested his presence a mere fifteen minutes ago.
"Is this about Jethro? He's going to be fine. The bullet merely grazed his shoulder. It will be quite painful for awhile, but he'll make a full recovery."
"It isn't that, Ducky," she answered, "I mean, it is about Jethro, but not the bullet. I'm not worried about that. Even if he's going to be insufferable for a long time."
Ducky laughed.
"You're quite right. Jethro always becomes rather...childlike and even more stubborn when he's injured. If it isn't that, may I ask why you've called me in here? Am I being fired?"
She laughed, shaking her head.
"Not in a million years, Ducky."
Her nervousness was palpable, made more evident by her hands twisting in her lap, and he frowned.
"What is it?"
For a long moment, he was afraid she wouldn't answer him, and he was just preparing to ask again when he heard her voice, her words so soft he almost missed them.
"I'm pregnant, Ducky."
Of all the answers he'd expected, this was the one farthest from his mind, and he looked at her seriously, trying to gauge the situation.
"Are you certain?"
She nodded, her bright green eyes flickering to his for a brief second.
"Yes. I just got the call. I'm...Ducky, it's taking everything I have not to panic right now, and how—how do I tell Jethro?"
"With words, I would imagine," Ducky answered, trying to make her laugh.
It didn't work.
"Or you could draw a picture. You're quite a skilled artist, if memory serves."
"Ducky, this isn't a joke. I'm...God, what if it—"
He shook his head, looking at her seriously.
"Don't do that, Jennifer," he said firmly, "Don't think about the "what ifs", because you're going to cause unnecessary stress, and that's not good for anyone involved here."
She nodded, trying to ignore the thoughts in her head, and when Ducky reached across the desk to take her hand in his, he frowned at how cold her skin was. She didn't appear to notice, and when he patted her hand gently, he gave her an encouraging smile.
"Look at it this way. Jethro will be so excited that he won't have time to be a grouch."
He stood up, leaning over the desk to kiss her cheek, and smiled again.
"I'll send him up. And try not to worry, my dear. You're going to be fine."
Jenny gave him a weak smile, whispering her thanks as he walked to the door, and as it swung shut behind him, she fought against the panic she could feel rising in her chest. She could do this. She could...
…...right?
As soon as Ducky stopped in front of the team leader's desk, he could sense his irritation, but he didn't allow it to bother him.
"Jethro, I've just come from our lovely Director's office. She'd like to see you."
Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"What does she want now?"
"I couldn't say," Ducky answered carefully, "but she did seem very insistent."
The younger man sighed heavily, pushing his chair back with annoyance, and shook his head.
"First I get shot and now I have to deal with this? Hell of a day."
"Jethro, she's your wife," Ducky admonished him.
"Doesn't make her any less irritating."
Tony laughed quietly to himself as Gibbs passed him, not moving quick enough to dodge the head slap that was aimed at him, and he yelped in pain, rubbing the back of his head.
"That was a little harsh," he muttered.
"Tony, you should know by now not to antagonise Gibbs after he's been shot," McGee said, shaking his head slightly.
"To be fair, this is Tony we're talking about," Ziva pointed out.
Though he'd never admit it, Gibbs cracked a smile as he listened to their banter as he walked closer to Jenny's door. He wasn't actually as annoyed with Jenny's summons as he'd let on, but he could never let anyone know that. After all, he had a reputation to maintain. As soon as he walked into her office, he frowned at the serious expression on her face, and he hovered near the edge of her desk, not wanting to sit for fear of hearing distressing news.
"You wanted to see me?"
She nodded.
"Sit down, Jethro."
"Why?" he asked suspiciously, "You firing me? Divorcing me?"
She laughed quietly as she shook her head, and gestured for him to sit. When he refused again, she merely shrugged, looking at him as she took a long drink from her coffee.
"Suit yourself, though I do have something important to tell you."
He waited, and when he realised that she was nervous, he suddenly felt like an ass for the way he'd acted. She took a deep breath, and as she slowly let it out, he noticed her hands were shaking.
"You sick?"
"No. I'm not sick. Though you asked me that same question the first time we had this conversation. Two years ago."
He frowned, not following her train of thought, and she shook her head.
"Jethro, what happened two years ago?"
"Loaded question, Jen," he reminded her, "A lot happened two years ago. My truck got destroyed, you nearly died more times than I care to remember—"
"After Christmas," she clarified.
He frowned, thinking, and as she waited, she realised it would just be simpler to tell him rather than waiting for him to figure it out, and she took another drink of her coffee.
"I'm pregnant," she said finally, looking at him seriously.
He stared at her for so long that at first she was afraid he'd suffered a stroke or a heart attack, and when he finally found his voice, it was strained.
"You're pregnant?"
She nodded, trying to make sense of the expression on his face, and when he reached for the chair in front of him, she frowned.
"Think I'll sit after all. Jen, are you sure?"
She nodded again, her hands still shaking, and he reached for them, holding them in his own.
"Are you okay? I know you said that—"
"I'm terrified," she admitted, her eyes locking on his, "Jethro, I'm so scared that I can't think, but...I'm also kind of excited."
He nodded, looking at her seriously, and when he noticed the tears in her eyes, he frowned. Though he still wasn't entirely sure his legs would support him, he stood, walking around to the other side of her desk, pulling her to her feet and folding her in his arms, kissing her hair softly.
"Don't be scared," he whispered, "I've got you, Jen."
Even if she had tried, Jenny couldn't sleep that night, still up pacing the floor hours after she would have normally attempted to go to bed, and when Gibbs came up from the basement, he was surprised to find her still in the living room. Her hair was tangled, her clothing disheveled, makeup smudged, and there were tears falling from her eyes as she walked the length of the floor, not even paying Aries the slightest bit of attention as he followed her every step. Gibbs walked closer, not wanting to scare her, and when she turned again, he stopped her with his hands on her shoulders.
"What are you doing up? You should be sleeping. It's—"
"What if we lose this baby like Matthew? What if we don't, and they inherit my bipolar disorder, or—"
"Jen...stop," he said gently, "Calm down. We aren't going to lose this one. And even if they do inherit it, you're going to be there to help them through it. Remember what Dr. Lentz told you? You'll know how to guide them through it because you've got first-hand experience."
"But, Jethro, I—"
"Shh...not now. Let's go to bed. It's late, and you need to sleep. Okay?"
Though her mind was still racing, she nodded, allowing him to lead her up the stairs. She knew she wouldn't sleep, but surely being in bed couldn't hurt anything. Besides, she really was exhausted...
Jenny didn't even remember falling asleep, but when she woke, she could feel that familiar feeling of panic, and when she realised that Gibbs was awake next to her, she moved closer, burying her head in his chest. She moaned softly as she tried to sort through the thoughts in her head, and when he shifted so that he could hold her more securely in his arms, she protested the movement. Every sound, every sensation was amplified in her head, and when he asked her what was wrong, she shook her head.
"Don't say anything," she murmured, "Please. Just hold me."
He nodded, combing out the tangles in her hair, careful not to aggravate the bandage on his shoulder, and as she closed her eyes tightly, he frowned. He knew she was worried, knew she was trying to sort through the emotions raging in her head, and while he also knew there was really no way he could help her, he still hated to watch her struggle.
It took her less than half an hour to fall back asleep, and as he gently moved her back to her side of the bed, he sighed. Were they really ready for this? Were they really prepared for the possibility of what could happen? They'd already lost one baby, could they make it through another loss? He knew for a fact that Jenny wouldn't survive, but what about him? He'd lost two children and one wife, more than anyone should have, and he didn't honestly think he had it in him to keep going if something happened this time.
He'd barely managed to come back from Matthew's death, and if the recent reaction to his second birthday was any indication, he still wasn't healed from that particular wound. Never would be, if he were being honest. That wasn't something you simply "got over"...no matter how hard he had tried. And Jenny...God, it had nearly destroyed her. What would happen to her? He had never doubted for a moment that his wife was a strong person, but even she had her limits.
He hoped he'd never have to find out...
Two weeks after Jenny had first told Gibbs of her pregnancy, she was making coffee in their kitchen, her movements so quick that her hands were a pale blur, and as Gibbs walked into the small room, he frowned. Something was off here, and it took him less than a second to figure out what it was. He hadn't seen his wife so manic in quite awhile, and when he walked up to her, she gave him a brilliant smile, kissing his cheek as she handed him an empty cup.
"Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. Are you hungry? I could make breakfast if you want. We've got bacon, eggs, I think there's bread around here somewhere, or—"
"I'm not hungry," he told her with a careful smile, "Coffee's fine."
She nodded, reaching for Aries' bag of dog food, and as she poured it into the bowl, she brushed her hair out of her face, a slightly annoyed look in her eyes.
"Jethro, what would you think about my cutting my hair again?"
"Not a fan," he said honestly, "I like it better long. Why?"
"It's always in my way. And it gets into my clothing, and do you know how annoying it is to find hair in your bra halfway through your work day? It's infuriating."
He laughed, shaking his head.
"I can imagine. Never worn a bra, though."
"I would hope not," Jenny answered seriously, "Though I would pay copious amounts of money to see that. Which reminds me, I'm going to have to find all of my maternity clothes again since I'm going to have a baby, and—oh my God..."
She stopped suddenly, her expression changing from elation to fear so quickly that it was as though someone had flipped a switch, and Gibbs frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh my God...Jethro, I'm pregnant again. What am I going to do? What are we going to tell people? How are we going to afford this? How—"
"Jen...hey, wait a minute," he moved closer, placing his cup on the counter, "We'll be fine as far as money goes. No different than if we hadn't lost Matthew. As far as what we're telling—"
"I'm going to have to tell SecNav, and Leon Vance will have to take over when I have the baby, and I—"
It suddenly hit him, as he reached for her arm, exactly why Jenny's mood had been swinging from one extreme to the next, and he frowned as he interrupted her again.
"Jen, you're not taking your medication, are you?"
She shook her head, her eyes wide.
"I can't, Jethro. Not until I talk to Dr. Lentz. What if it's bad for the baby? I can't do anything that could hurt them, maybe that's what happened with Matthew, and I can't go through that again. I—I really don't think I could do—"
Her words were beginning to run together, her thoughts jumping rapidly, and Gibbs pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest, running his hand over her hair.
"Shh...hush, Jen. Slow down. We'll make an appointment with Dr. Lentz as soon as he has an opening, and we'll find an alternative. Okay? Just breathe, and we'll get through this. I promise."
"But Jethro, I—"
"Shh..." he repeated, his hand still smoothing her hair, "Not now. Just breathe."
Gibbs glanced at his wife every so often as she sat in the waiting room of Dr. Lentz's office, noticing that her foot was tapping nervously as she waited, and as soon as the door opened, she jumped up, her steps frantic.
"Thank you for seeing me so soon, Dr. Lentz."
The doctor nodded but frowned when he noticed the former marine sitting next to the chair she'd previously occupied.
"Is something wrong? It isn't often that I receive a visit from the both of you."
Gibbs shook his head as he stood, taking the doctor's offered hand and shaking it as they followed him into the office.
"Not exactly. We just had a few questions we needed to discuss with you, and given how Jenny tends to just do what she wants, I wanted to be here to make sure I heard your answers for myself."
Dr. Lentz nodded, looking at them both as they sat down.
"Okay, fire away."
Jenny took a deep breath, looking at him seriously, and when she spoke, her voice was shaking slightly.
"I—I'm pregnant. And I need to make sure that the medications I'm taking won't hurt the baby."
Dr. Lentz smiled, nodding at her.
"Congratulations to you both. Luckily, since we've changed the medications over the past month, you have nothing to worry about. None of the ones you're currently taking will cause any harm to either you or your unborn child. They're perfectly safe."
Jenny smiled in relief, and reached for Gibbs' hand, holding it tightly.
"Thank you."
"Now, if you don't mind my asking, how far along are you?"
"Twelve weeks," came her prompt reply, "So it will still be a little while longer. January 25th is the expected due date. We still have a few weeks before we know whether or not we're having a boy or a girl."
"Any preferences?" Dr. Lentz asked with a smile.
"Not really. I mean, either one would be fine, but somehow I have a feeling that this one will be a girl."
"Why is that?"
Gibbs looked at her, curious himself as to what her answer would be, and Jenny shrugged.
"Just a guess. Something feels different this time."
Gibbs nodded.
"I'd say we have a girl, then. Jen's feelings are usually right."
Dr. Lentz looked at him with a curious expression.
"Really?"
Jenny nodded.
"Yeah. It's weird. The day I got shot in Prague, I had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, and this bullet here," she paused, indicating the bandage on her husband's shoulder, " I knew something had happened, but didn't know what. That was also the day I found out about this baby."
"Not to mention, you knew Matthew was going to be a boy. You've always picked up on things that other people miss, or somehow seem to know things that you shouldn't," Gibbs reminded her, "Sometimes, it's like you can read my mind. Stop doing that, by the way."
"Maybe you have premonitions," the doctor said jokingly.
Jenny laughed, shaking her head, and looked at Dr. Lentz again, her eyes still slightly worried.
"So, it's okay for me to keep taking the medication? It won't hurt the baby?"
"Not at all," he assured her, "You'll both be perfectly fine."
She smiled, feeling more than a little relieved, and when they left the office less than ten minutes later, she felt much lighter than she'd felt in months.
As he walked into the living room, Gibbs couldn't take his eyes off of his wife, sitting with her feet tucked under her, wrapped in her cream-and-blue cardigan, quietly reading a book. Aries was sleeping on the opposite end of the couch, his ears twitching ever so slightly as he dreamt, and when she heard the soft creaking of the floor beneath his weight, Jenny glanced up at him, her eyes warm.
"Hi."
"Hey," he replied quietly, holding out the tea he'd brought her, "Thought you might like this."
She smiled, taking the cup from him as she set her book down, and when she took a small drink, he gave her a smile in return.
"Feeling okay?"
She nodded.
"Jethro, I'm pregnant, not dying. Relax. If something was wrong, I would tell you."
Though he knew she was telling him the truth, he still worried, and as he sat down near her feet, he pulled them across his lap, running his hand over her legs slowly. She'd been much more stable since Dr. Lentz had assured her that she could still take her medication, and it made him feel much more relieved than he would ever admit.
"Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?" he asked quietly.
She smiled softly, taking another drink of her tea, and as her eyes met his, she was overwhelmed by the emotions she saw in the bright blue irises.
"What about you?" she asked, her hand reaching out to frame his face, "You are one of the most attractive men I've ever seen in my life."
He rolled his eyes, and she shook her head, taking another sip from the cup in her other hand.
"I'm serious, Jethro. You're sexy. Get used to the idea."
She laughed quietly, finishing the tea and placing the cup on the table next to her. Moving closer, she laid her head on his shoulder, running her hand up and down his thigh, closing her eyes slowly. When Gibbs realised, twenty minutes later, that she'd fallen asleep, he carefully moved so that she was resting comfortably on the couch, kissing her forehead before covering her with a blanket.
"I love you, Jen," he whispered.
Smiling as she watched her husband work on his precious boat, Jenny took a drink of the tea in front of her, her eyes following his movements as he sanded the wood.
"Almost finished," he said conversationally, throwing her a smile over his shoulder.
She nodded.
"Took you long enough," she quipped.
"It has to be perfect," he told her seriously. "Can't settle for anything less."
Just as she was about to reply, she heard the unmistakable crack of splintering wood, and as she glanced up, she noticed the large piece of lumber beginning to fall. She called his name, but it was too late. The large piece of wood broke away, falling quickly, and Jenny instinctively closed her eyes, unable to look. When her eyes finally opened, it took a few seconds for them to register what they were seeing, and once they had, she began to shake.
Gibbs was pinned against the shell of his boat, the large piece of wood protruding from his chest, the jagged end glistening with blood. She began to scream, making her way closer, and as his glassy eyes landed on hers, he opened his mouth to speak, a bubble of crimson bursting as he took a breath.
"J-Jen..."
She screamed again, her hands trying in vain to help him, and as his eyes closed, she collapsed on the ground, covered in warm, sticky blood.
Jenny jerked awake, her entire body shaking, and when she reached over to his side of the bed, her heart began to pound when she realised she was alone. She threw her legs over the edge of the mattress, nearly falling as she ran into the hallway, her steps frantic. Miraculously, she made it to the basement steps unharmed, and as she wrenched open the door, she called her husband's name. Her bare feet slipped on the steps, and it was only her tight grip on the hand rail that kept her from falling, her every sense on high alert.
"Jethro?!"
He frowned at her urgency, reaching out to steady her as she touched down on the concrete, and frowned when he saw the tears falling freely down her face. She was struggling to breathe as she stood in front of him, and he could feel her body shaking beneath his fingers. Violently.
"What's wrong?"
"Jethro...you're—you're okay?"
He frowned.
"Perfectly fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I had...I had this dream. You were down here, working on the boat, and this...huge piece of wood fell and it—it went through your chest. It was...god, it was awful!"
She gripped his shirt tightly in her pale fingers, sobbing into his chest, and Gibbs frowned as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh...it's okay. It was just a dream."
"It felt so real," she whispered.
He nodded.
"I know, but it's okay. I'm okay, you're okay, the baby is okay, everything is okay. I promise."
She was silent for a long moment before nodding, raising fearful green eyes to his.
"Can we go to bed?"
He nodded, kissing her gently.
"Sure."
As they walked back up the stairs, Gibbs never once released his hold on her hand, and even when they were laying in the comfort of their bed, he still kept their fingers intertwined, kissing her softly.
"Get some sleep. I love you, Jen."
She smiled, her head on his chest as her eyes closed.
"I love you, too. So much more than you know."
Eight days.
It had been eight days since Jenny had been woken from her sleep by a violent nightmare, and not once had she left the sanctity of the bedroom she shared with her husband. Not that she had allowed him in at all during that time, and it was beginning to worry him. She'd locked the door after he'd gone to work the first day claiming she didn't feel well enough to join him, and she hadn't opened the door since.
Gibbs didn't have the slightest clue of how to get her to eat, open the door, or even speak to him, and when he'd gone into work that morning, the sleepless nights he'd spent worrying about her were starting to get to him. McGee noticed his lack of focus and short temper immediately, choosing the safe route of only bothering him if it was absolutely necessary, and while Ducky had been of a similar mind at the start of the day, by the end of it, he couldn't stay silent any longer.
He walked up to the team leader's desk, looking at him seriously, and when he wasn't acknowledged, he cleared his throat loudly. Gibbs attempted to ignored him for all of six minutes, and when it became apparent that the older man wasn't going to back down, he sighed, looking at him in annoyance.
"Can I help you, Doctor Mallard?"
"Yes. I'm wondering where our lovely Director is and why she hasn't been here in over a week."
Gibbs shrugged.
"She's in our bedroom. Locked herself in, won't speak to me, won't eat...dunno why."
Ducky frowned.
"Is everything alright with the..."
He trailed off, knowing Gibbs would understand, and the younger man nodded.
"Yeah. Everything's fine there. She had a pretty bad nightmare about a week ago. Think it's really been messing with her. I'm really starting to get worried."
Ducky sighed, pulling his keys from his pocket.
"Give her time, Jethro. She'll come around."
Gibbs nodded, offering the doctor a weak smile as he turned off the light over his desk, and as he leaned back slightly in his chair, he frowned. He hoped Ducky was right...
There really was no other alternative. Not that he could see.
When Jenny finally emerged from the room that evening, Gibbs was so surprised to see her that at first he thought he was hallucinating. He blinked hard, half-expecting her to vanish, and when it didn't happen, he frowned as he observed her more closely. She was paler than death, her entire body shaking, steps slow and uncertain, and when he walked over to her, she jumped at the sudden closeness.
"Jen, are you okay?"
She nodded, looking at him slowly, and he wrapped his arm around her, leading her to the couch. After carefully making sure she was seated comfortably, he sat down next to her, looking at her for so long that it began to make her nervous.
"Talk to me," he said quietly, "Please. What's wrong?"
"I...I don't know how to explain it," she answered, her voice slightly hoarse, "Besides, I don't want you to laugh at me."
He shook his head.
"I would never do that. You're scaring the hell out of me, Jen."
She shook her head, tangled red hair falling into her face, and when she raised a trembling hand to move it, he pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. Wrapping it around her shoulders, he pulled her closer, feeling her shaking in his hold.
"I...I keep thinking about that dream," she said finally, "and what you said about my always seeming to know things that other people don't. Like Matthew being a boy, or that I would get shot in Prague. What if...I know he was joking, but what if Dr. Lentz is right? What if I am having some sort of premonition? What if the things I saw in my dream actually happen? It's likely enough, with the way you're always working on the boat. I just...I don't think I could handle it if I lost you. I know I couldn't."
Gibbs reached for her hand, holding it in his own, hoping to warm it, to provide her with some sense of security, and he shook his head.
"I don't know if I believe in premonitions. It's kind of like that gut feeling I get, but with you...it's about other things. You're good at reading people, very observant, and your instincts are usually right. But do I believe in something that shows us the future? No. Because if it did, no one would ever truly have a choice in what we do. Our futures aren't set in stone. But I do believe in one thing above everything else, and that's us. You and me, Jen. Look how far we've come, and how far we're going to go. Nothing is greater than that."
She considered his words for a moment, turning them over in her mind, and she finally nodded, moving closer to his warmth, laying her head on his shoulder.
"I love you," she whispered, "and I'm sorry for acting like an idiot."
He laughed, kissing her softly.
"At least you're my idiot," he answered gently.
"Don't make me kill you," Jenny warned him.
"Nah. You love me too much."
"Don't tempt me."
A/N: Hope you liked it! Until next week, my loves!