A/N: Hope you enjoy the newest chapter in our favourite couple's journey!
Jenny's view was immediately obscured by golden hair the moment she walked into the waiting room of the hospital following her release. Elisabeth Murphy had thrown herself onto the redhead's shoulders, her tears soaking through the fabric of the thin shirt she wore, and Jenny ran her hand over her hair slowly.
"Jenny! You're okay!"
Jenny laughed softly, thankful for Gibbs' hand at her lower back keeping her upright.
"I'm fine. A little sore, but nothing that a few aspirin won't solve."
"Is the baby okay?" Elisabeth whispered, her mouth close to Jenny's ear.
She nodded, confused.
"How do you know—"
"Agent Gibbs told me. He thanked me for saving your lives. I told him that was crazy, I didn't do anything, but…"
"You did, Elisabeth. You wrote the number down backwards. That was enough to distract them so we could get away."
Jenny hugged her again as Gibbs walked away to pull his truck around, and the younger girl smiled. If Jenny would have known the path her life was about to take, she would have held on much longer.
Far be it from Timothy McGee to ever question a woman's weight, that was their own personal choice after all (and he wasn't Tony), but he was prone to noticing differences, especially in women who were resistant to change. For as long as he'd known her, Jennifer Shepard-Gibbs had been one such woman, and he knew she took pride in herself and even in something as superficial as her appearance. So when he noticed that she'd started wearing loose-fitting clothes, such a change from the stylish ones she'd always favoured, it struck him as odd. When he added in the way she always seemed to pale and hold her breath each time she was in the squad room, and he was beginning to get worried.
Was she sick? After what she'd recently endured, he supposed it was possible, but surely someone would have told them if that were the case…wouldn't they? He couldn't imagine Ducky would keep something from them, unless…wait...what if she was dying? Oh, God…Jenny couldn't be dying. How would they make it without her? How would Zelda make it without her? More to the point, how would Gibbs? Jenny was his entire world, his reason for existing. There was no way he would survive without her. Not after the past two years.
So it was with great trepidation that the young agent walked up to her office, having searched for his team leader for so long that he was sure to be reprimanded for wasting time, and when he passed Cynthia Sumner's desk, he gave her a cautious smile.
"Is the Director in?"
She nodded.
"Should be. Unless she managed to sneak out without my noticing."
McGee frowned.
"Does she do that a lot?"
Cynthia laughed quietly.
"More often than you would think. She can be quite resourceful when she needs to be."
He nodded, knocking lightly on the door, and when he heard Jenny grant him entrance, he walked in, trying to fight his nervousness. It was astounding to him how she still managed to intimidate him even after all these years, after all they'd been through together, and he struggled to return the smile she gave him as he shut the door behind him.
"What can I do for you, McGee? It must be important, for you to come to see me instead of Gibbs."
"Well, I just…it's kind of personal, and—"
"Is something wrong with Zelda?"
He shook his head.
"No. Z's fine. It's…I wanted to ask you, and if you don't want to answer, that's fine, but…"
Jenny waited patiently for him to make his point, though she could tell he was extremely uncomfortable, and she sat straighter in her chair as the baby moved.
"Are you sick, Director? I just…I noticed that your clothes are looser than they used to be, and even though it's none of my business, I wanted you to know that I'm here if you need anything, and so is Beth."
Jenny smiled, noticing he'd still referred to her by title rather than name, touched by the concern, and shook her head.
"You're sweet, Tim," she said gently, "and incredibly observant. It's what makes you such a good investigator. But no…I'm not sick. If I tell you, can you keep it to yourself?"
He nodded, and Jenny smiled again, knowing there was no way he would give up her secret. She could trust McGee.
"I'm pregnant. About fifteen weeks now. You're the first person to know here, besides Ducky."
McGee smiled at her, realizing that suddenly all of the observations he'd made about the changes in her made perfect sense, each piece of the puzzle falling into place, and he met her eyes seriously.
"Are you—I mean, is everything okay? After what happened with Elisabeth Murphy and…"
She nodded, looking happier than McGee had seen her in two years.
"Everything is fine. Our little girl is a fighter. She's not going to let some bastard with a gun take her down."
McGee smiled, nodding at her once before speaking.
"She's just like her mother, then. Well, I'm glad that you're not sick, and so happy for you and the boss. Is there anything I can do? Anything you need?"
"Tell our little McNugget that she's going to have a best friend for life," Jenny answered with a smile.
"Can I tell Beth?" he asked.
"Of course you can," she replied, "By all means. Just keep it between you. We're waiting for about another two weeks before we make the official announcement. We don't want to risk something…something happening."
"Understandable. I'll keep it need to know. Anyway, I'll get out of your hair. Have a good day, Director Shepard."
She smiled.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jenny when we're not in public?"
He laughed, shaking his head.
"I know. Sorry, Jenny."
"Don't apologize," she quoted instinctively.
"Sign of weakness," they finished together.
Stan Burley's eyes widened as he entered the spare room of Gibbs' upstairs, looking at the redhead with an odd combination of amazement and amusement as he watched her painting the walls.
"You sure we should be in here, Red? Aren't paint fumes bad for, I don't know...everything?"
She laughed, rolling her eyes.
"I have to get this finished," she answered, "I only have about five months before it's too late."
He frowned, wondering what on earth she was talking about, and when he stepped further into the room, he whistled. The walls were painted a gradient blue, with varying shades ranging from ocean blue to navy, the latter covering even the ceiling, and as Jenny positioned her ladder a few feet from where she'd been previously, he glanced up. She'd painted constellations on the ceiling with shimmering silver paint, and was now in the process of accenting it with tiny adhesive dots that glowed in the dark to simulate stars. It was damn impressive, and he gave her a smile as he walked over to steady the ladder.
"Damn, Shep. You did all this?"
She nodded.
"Jethro helped with blending the colours together on the space between the top of the wall and ceiling because I was a bit too short and he's still not keen on the idea of my using a ladder."
Burley frowned, watching her carefully as she stepped on the highest step. Truthfully, seeing her that far from the ground made him a little nervous too, but perhaps that was his own fear of heights taking over. He hated seeing anyone off the ground, much less people he cared about. She finished placing the last of the stars, holding it in place long enough that it would stay, and as she stepped down, he held out his hand to help her.
Taking it with a smile, she thanked him, looking up at it curiously.
"Well, what do you think?"
He followed her gaze and nodded.
"Looks good."
Jenny made her way to the door, flipping off the lights, and when the dots overhead began to glow, Burley swore softly, staring up at it in wonder. It was truly a thing of beauty and he couldn't believe she'd done all of this by herself.
"Holy shit, Jenny...you're amazing."
"Thanks."
"I know you're a perfectionist, but why the rush? Are you going to need this room for something important?"
She nodded, unable to stop smiling.
"The most important thing in my life."
He frowned.
"You kicking Gibbs out of the main room? It's because he snores, right?"
Jenny laughed, shaking her head, still staring up at the glowing ceiling.
"No, Stan. Listen, don't say anything, but...I'm pregnant. This is going to be the baby's room."
He stared at her, illuminated by the glow of the simulated stars, and before she even had time to blink, he had thrown his arms around her, hugging her so tightly that she was lifted off her feet slightly. She laughed as he finally set her back down, and when he kissed her cheek, he gave her a bright smile.
"Jenny! Honey, that's great! How far along?"
"About four months now. Jethro's so excited."
"What about you? I know you were pretty upset when you—"
She shook her head.
"I was terrified at first, and I still am, but...I think if this is what was meant to be, then who am I to argue?"
He kissed her cheek again, and threw his arm around her shoulders.
"You're going to be a fantastic mother. Don't worry about anything, honey. Decker always said you'd...well, with the way you always pushed us to do better, he always said you'd make a great mother someday."
She smiled at the thought of Will Decker and walked over to the wall, turning the lights back on.
"Boy or girl?"
"Girl," she answered with a smile, "I'm sure Jethro already has names picked out."
Burley frowned.
"Didn't you already have a girl's name picked out before? When you were—"
Jenny nodded.
"Yeah, but I think we're going to change it up a bit. Try something new."
She made her way towards the door, slipping on the protective tarp covering the floor, and Burley automatically reached out to catch her, his face inches from her own as he held her in his arms.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
Just as she was about to move, she saw Gibbs standing in the doorway, his eyes puzzled, and he frowned.
"You've got a strange way of painting, Jen."
She rolled her eyes.
"It's this damn tarp. I've tripped over it at least ten times today. This was the first time I had someone to break the fall."
He took her hand, helping her to stand straighter, and Burley immediately began speaking, hoping he understood.
"Gibbs, I swear, she really did trip. I didn't want her to get hurt, or the baby and I—"
Gibbs laughed, looking at Burley as though he'd gone insane.
"You really think I'm worried about that, Burley?"
Kissing Jenny gently as she gathered up her painting supplies, Gibbs shook his head again, making his way to the steps.
"Why would she want you when I'm right here?" he called, his voice light with amusement.
"Sorry, Stan," Jenny called as she walked down the stairs, "Your ass just doesn't look anywhere near as good as Gibbs' in jeans."
"That implies that you've looked at my ass though, Red. Did you at least enjoy the view?"
Jenny shrugged as she turned at the bottom of the stairs.
"Nah. I just needed something to make me laugh on slow days at the office."
In Stan Burley's opinion, seeing Jenny Shepard-Gibbs so purely happy was worth any jokes at his own personal expense.
As Jenny and Beth walked through the streets, Zelda being led carefully by the hand, the redhead smiled at the pure beauty of the day. It had been so long since she'd truly enjoyed any time outside of her office, and as the cool autumn breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders, she turned to the young woman walking next to her.
"Don't you just love this time of year?"
Beth nodded.
"It's my favourite season. You're so lucky, Jenny. Your birthday is in October. That's the most awesome month ever."
Jenny frowned.
"It's just a month."
"Yeah, but you get all the cool stuff. Halloween, great weather, bonfires...I'm so annoyed that I was born in the summer."
"Speaking of birthdays," Jenny said, leaning down to pick up Zelda as they neared a crowded part of the street, "what are we going to do for this little one's second? It's coming up soon."
"I don't know yet," Beth admitted, "She's really into Barney right now, so we might just have to suck it up and throw her a Barney party. Between you and me, Tim and I are about to shoot that purple bastard."
Jenny laughed, kissing Zelda's cheek as they walked.
"You having a love affair with a big purple dinosaur, McNugget? Hmm?"
"It's great that she's learning, but I swear to God, Jenny...if I have to listen to that damned clean up song again, I might just lose my mind. You'll find out soon enough. I hope Baby Gibbs drives you just as crazy with it."
Jenny nodded.
"So do I."
Though Beth had been joking, she knew exactly how much Jenny was worrying about this pregnancy, and she hugged her gently as they maneuvered their way through the people sitting on the side of the street.
"It's going to be fine, Jenny. Nothing's happened to cause any concern."
Jenny nodded, but sighed.
"Nothing did the last time, either. Besides, I—"
"Excuse me, do either of you have any spare change? I just need—"
"No," Beth answered, her voice turning colder, "I don't carry cash."
Jenny frowned as she realised the voice that had spoken was vaguely familiar to her, and when she turned around to look at who it had been, her eyes widened. The skin was sunken in around her face, her figure just as thin as she'd been the last time Jenny had seen her (if not more so), but the hair could belong to no one else, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't seen her in months, but she knew, without a doubt, who she was.
"Elisabeth?"
The girl started at her voice, her eyes darting around her in fear, and Beth frowned, unsure of how Jenny could possibly know this girl.
"Elisabeth, it's Jenny. Jenny Shepard. Do you remember me?"
The younger girl nodded, her eyes locking on Jenny's as the redhead took a step closer.
"Of course. You saved my life. Is that your little girl?"
Jenny shook her head, smiling at Zelda.
"No, this is my goddaughter. Do you remember when we met that I told you a good friend of mine had the same name as you? This is her daughter. Beth, this is Elisabeth Murphy."
The redhead handed Zelda to her mother, and held out her hand, smiling when the younger girl took it, pulling her to her feet.
"Honey, what are you doing out here on the street?"
Elisabeth shrugged.
"I don't have any money, and I don't have a car to get around. I had a job for awhile, but when I couldn't find a ride, they fired me."
Jenny looked at her seriously, the thin cotton t-shirt, the tattered jeans, and the girl's bare feet, all smeared with dirt, and shook her head firmly.
"Come on. I'm not letting you stay here on the street."
Beth glanced at her, trying to determine if she were serious, and Elisabeth shook her head frantically.
"No, I—I couldn't...you don't have to do that, Director Shepard. I can't pay for—"
"I'm not asking you to," Jenny said gently, "You don't repay a gift. And I told you, call me Jenny. Everyone does."
Jenny put her arm around the younger girl's shoulders, gently leading her away from the crowds of people that clearly made her uncomfortable, and as they walked, Beth leaned over to whisper in her ear, her voice urgent.
"I hope you have a plan, Jenny."
"Of course I do. My husband owes me a favour, remember?"
The smile the redhead gave her did little to calm Beth's unease
As it turned out, her smile did nothing to assuage her husband's suspicions, either, and as Elisabeth was taking a shower in their bathroom, he turned to glare at her.
"What the hell, Jen? You hardly know this girl, and you're just going to take her in off the street?"
"That's just it, Jethro. She was on the street. That girl saved my life, and the life of our baby. I couldn't leave her there. Don't you understand where I'm coming from?"
Gibbs sighed, looking at her seriously, and when he saw that she wasn't going to back down, he finally nodded, though his expression was still guarded.
"Okay, Jen. You win this one. But just be careful. Please."
She nodded, leaning over to kiss him gently.
"I will. Thank you."
He nodded as he went to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of bourbon, and when Elisabeth returned from her shower five minutes later, she gave Jenny a tentative smile. Her fingers tugged at the clothing Jenny had loaned her, and when Aries walked up to sniff at her curiously, she smiled again.
"Director Shep—I mean, Jenny, I...thank you. For the shower, the clothes, everything. I...I promise, I'll pay you back somehow."
Jenny shook her head, gesturing for her to sit on the couch, and when she joined her moments later, she found herself feeling unexpectedly sad.
"You don't have to repay me. I told you, it's a gift. I don't expect you to. I do have a suggestion though. My sister has a house about twenty minutes from here. If she doesn't mind, would you be interested in staying with her and her girlfriend until you get on your feet?"
Elisabeth frowned, thinking.
"I don't want to be in her way."
Jenny waved her words away with a smile.
"She works almost all day, and so does her girlfriend. You'd hardly see them. Actually...hey, I've got an idea of what you could do for a little money. Are you any good with children?"
Elisabeth nodded, a genuine smile coming over her face for the first time since Jenny had seen her.
"Yes. I used to babysit all the time when my dad and I would stay on base. And Jake and I always wanted kids, but..."
She stopped, and Jenny reached out to touch her knee gently, her eyes kind.
"I know...would you like to talk about it?"
Elisabeth's head shook, her hair falling slightly into her face, and as she brushed it away, she looked at Jenny seriously.
"No. I try not to. It hurts too much."
Jenny nodded.
"I understand. I was the same way with my father's death, and my son's. You don't have to talk about it unless you want to. Anyway, how would you like to help me get things ready around the house for the baby? I don't have a whole lot of free time, and—"
"Of course! If you give me a list, I would love to help. I—I know this might sound stupid, but...I've—I felt so lost and..I didn't know what to do with myself. Having something to do would help with that."
"I could pay you for your time, just like I would anyone else, and if Heather lets you stay with her, you wouldn't have many bills to pay, so you could save up for a car and then you could apply for jobs, save up for a place of your own, anything you want."
Without warning, Elisabeth threw her arms around Jenny, tears falling from her eyes, and as Jenny ran her hand over her hair, she smiled.
"Thank you, Jenny," she whispered.
Jenny could feel her husband's eyes on her as he stood in the shadows of the kitchen doorway but said nothing, merely smiling at Elisabeth as she pulled away.
"You're welcome. Now, why don't you get some sleep? It's been a long day, and I expect you to be up bright and early, prepared to work."
"Yes, ma'am," Elisabeth said with a smile, "Good night, Jenny."
As Jenny made her way to retrieve blankets and a pillow for the younger girl, she heard her voice again, turning as she reached the stairs.
"Hey, Jenny? Aren't you worried I'm going to steal from you or something?"
Jenny shook her head.
"No. I trust you. And even if I didn't, my husband was a marine sniper, so steal at your own risk."
Elisabeth laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm good, thanks."
Gibbs immediately pulled Jenny into his arms as soon as their bedroom door had shut behind him, and as his hands wrapped around her waist, he kissed her deeply.
"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you?"
She smiled, staring up into his eyes slowly.
"Remind me," she answered softly.
He nodded, kissing her again as he backed her up to the mattress.
"You always help anyone you can. You see the good in everyone. You never stop fighting for what you believe in. You work harder than anyone I know. I've never met anyone like you, and I am so proud of the woman you've become."
Each of his reasons was accented by a kiss, and when her legs hit the back of the mattress, she sat down on the edge, pulling him closer. Though she wasn't exactly in the mood for sex, there was hardly anything in the world that would make her stop kissing her husband, and as he ran his fingers through her hair, she smiled.
"I love you."
"I love you more," he said quietly, "More than anything we could ever go through, and I'll always be here when you need me."
"I know," she said gently, "and I'm always here when you need me, too. For anything."
He kissed her again, running his left hand over her cheek, his right coming to rest against her stomach, feeling the movement of their baby, their precious little girl, and he smiled as he thought of an idea.
"What do you think, Jen? Should we go over names?"
She smiled, nodding as he moved to sit next to her.
"I'm sure you have a few thought of."
"Yeah, I was thinking about something not too traditional for a middle name. Something like maybe "Grace" or "Eve". Something that sets her apart. Not like "Michelle" or "Lynn". Those are too common."
Jenny nodded, thinking.
"What about Lauren?"
"Nah...too common."
"Charlotte? Like we originally planned?"
He shook his head, and Jenny rolled her eyes, sighing.
"Fine. You pick something."
"What about Gillian, but spell it with a "J"...continue our name alliteration. You know, 'Jethro, Jennifer, Jillian'?"
Jenny looked at him with such a shocked expression that he frowned, and when he asked her what she was staring at him like that for, she shook her head, her eyes still locked on his.
"Jethro, I didn't even think you knew the word "alliteration", let alone its definition."
The slap he delivered to the back of her head was soft, affectionate, and he glared at her jokingly as she began to laugh.
"Shut the hell up, Jen."
She kept laughing, laying her head on his shoulder, and when she felt the baby move, she smiled.
"I think the baby likes your choice. So, what about her middle name?"
He thought for a long moment, and nodded at her, his eyes watching her carefully.
"You pick. I picked Matthew's first name and Jillian's first name, you decide the middle. That's how we've done it both times."
She nodded, smiling sadly at the thought of her son, and thought for nearly a full minute, reaching for his hand when she'd reached her decision.
"Faith. Jillian Faith. Because as lame as it sounds, she's what keeps me from losing mine most days."
He smiled, kissing her gently, and as she moved to lay next to him on the mattress, he pulled her closer, his lips brushing the base of her throat.
"I love you."
"I know."
She could feel him glaring at her, but refused to acknowledge it, opting instead to turn to face him and bury her head in his chest, breathing in the scent of sawdust.
When Jenny first explained her request to her sister, the younger Shepard thought she'd gone insane, and shook her head slowly.
"I don't know, Jenny. I mean, I don't know this girl at all, and I just—"
"I understand that, but let me ask you this: where would you be if no one had given you a chance? Just a chance, Heather. That's all I'm asking. Just until she gets some money saved up. Please."
Sighing, Heather considered her words, and finally she nodded, running her hand through her hair slowly.
"Let me run it by Miranda, and if she says it's fine, then I don't mind. But if this blows up in my face—"
"It won't," Jenny assured her, "She stayed at our house last night and she even had breakfast made for us when we got up this morning. She's a good person and she's all alone now. Just give her a chance."
"Okay, Jenny. But I want you to know, I wouldn't do this for anyone but you."
Jenny smiled, hugging her gently. The younger woman frowned when she noticed something was different about her sister, and when she realised what it was, she looked at her curiously.
"Hey...don't take this the wrong way, but have you gained weight? I mean, you're not fat by any means, but you don't look like a stick anymore. Even your boobs have shape now."
Jenny burst into laughter, shaking her head, and as Miranda walked into the room, she waved.
"For your information, I never looked like a stick, Heather. And why the hell are you judging my breasts? I happen to like them the way they are. But yes, I've gained weight. That's what happens when you get pregnant."
It took a few moments for her words to register in Heather's mind, but as soon as they did, she let out a small scream of surprise, clapping her hands together excitedly.
"Jenny! Why the hell didn't you say something sooner?! How far along are you?"
"Four months, and we waited because we wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly before we told anyone."
"Congratulations, Jenny," Miranda said, hugging her gently, "I'm sure you're extremely excited."
Jenny nodded.
"I wasn't at first, but now...I can't wait to hold her, and more than that, I can't wait for Jethro to hold her. I really should be going now, I have an appointment with Dr. Lentz in about half an hour, so...don't forget about what I asked you, Heather."
Heather nodded, turning to Miranda.
"What would you think about a friend of Jenny's staying with us for a bit? She's just a kid, really, but she doesn't have anywhere else to go."
The other woman thought for a moment, nodding with a smile, and wrapped her arm around her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Of course she can. I remember when I was just getting my life together, I stayed on many people's couches. Even a few floors. At least this way, she can have Jenny's old room. What kind of person would I be if I didn't offer help to someone who needed it most?"
Jenny was so touched by her words that she could have kissed her.
The scratching of Dr. Lentz's pen moving across his notebook was really beginning to grate on Jenny's nerves and as she sat in the chair across from him, she sighed slowly. Even the smallest things were starting to irritate her, and though she knew she was being ridiculous, it did little to ease the feeling. He noticed the annoyed look on her face as he glanced up from taking notes and frowned, his eyes concerned.
"Jenny, is everything alright?"
She nodded.
"Fine."
He knew it wasn't, but he also knew that pushing her wouldn't help the situation.
"So, you've settled on a few names for the baby, am I right?"
"Just the one. We've been pretty good about sticking with our first choices. We want to call her Jillian, to keep the alliteration in our family going, and her middle name will be Faith. I can tell Jethro is getting more excited with each day, and it's been great to see him smile so much. We've started telling people now, since I can't exactly hide it that well anymore, and his team is absolutely thrilled. I thought Abby was going to have a heart attack."
He nodded.
"I'm guessing they've started buying gifts already?"
"Yes. Abby's bought so many sets of clothing that I don't think I'll need to buy any for a year at least, Ziva bought a bottle warmer, she's always so practical, McGee gave me a baby monitor, and Tony...his gift wasn't as practical, but I think I love his most of all. It's a photo album filled with pictures of Jethro and me, which is something we didn't have much of as we've gotten older. We have pictures from Paris, one or two from Serbia, and a few from Decker and Burley's birthday parties from back when we first met, but not many recently. As it turned out, Tony has been taking pictures of us almost every time we're together in the office."
"Why would he do that?"
Jenny smiled, laughing quietly.
"At first, it was because he was going to try and convince us that we were meant to be together. Then when it was no longer necessary, it was just a habit of his. In our line of work especially, you never know how much time you have left with your team members, so you learn to appreciate any tangible reminders of each other."
Dr. Lentz made a note, again making Jenny's nerves skyrocket, and she rolled her eyes again.
"Could you please stop that?" she said, annoyed, her words flying from her mouth before she could stop them.
He frowned.
"Pardon?"
She shook her head, waving her words away.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. Everything is getting on my nerves today. Every sound is just so loud, and I...I can't deal with it."
Dr. Lentz looked at her seriously before speaking, his eyes never leaving her.
"Are you still taking your anxiety medication?"
She nodded.
"Only when I have a panic attack, which has honestly been quite frequently lately."
"It sounds to me like you're experiencing sensory overload. It's quite common in people with anxiety. When it happens, I'd like you to try meditating if it's at all possible. Obviously, if you're in the middle of a meeting or something like that, I wouldn't recommend it, but even then, I want you to focus on breathing as slowly as possible and really listen to the beating of your heart. It's fairly effective when it comes to centering."
He paused, watching her to make sure she was listening, and when he was satisfied, he continued.
"As for your panic attacks, most of them are probably rooted in a worry that something will go wrong with your pregnancy. Given your history, this is definitely understandable, and I'm sure that once you're holding that tiny little girl, your fears will go away on that matter. I'm going to keep your doses the same for now, but if you feel like you need them to be altered before I see you next, please don't hesitate to call me."
Jenny nodded, smiling at him warmly.
"Thank you, Dr. Lentz. For everything."
"You're welcome."
When Jenny walked into the baby's room, her jaw nearly hit the floor as she realised that it had been cleaned so thoroughly that she could almost see her reflection in nearly every surface. Upon closer examination, she noticed that all of her supplies had been arranged in alphabetical order, from diapers to blankets, and in the corner of the room, just underneath the window, was a crib. It was truly a work of art, made of gleaming mahogany wood, the letters of their daughter's name elegantly carved into the headboard, and when she moved closer to touch it, she smiled.
Tears filled her eyes as she ran her hand over the smooth, shining wood, and when she felt Gibbs come up behind her and encircle her waist with his arms, she turned, looking into his eyes seriously.
"Where did this come from?"
"The basement," he said simply, "If you ever came down there anymore, you would have seen it sooner."
"You...you built this?" she whispered, "Oh, Jethro, it's so beautiful..."
"I hope you don't plan on changing her name," he said seriously, "because the engraving was the hardest part, and I don't particularly want to do it again."
She shook her head, turning in his embrace, throwing her arms around him as she kissed him hard.
"It's perfect," she said seriously, "Thank you."
He shrugged.
"I didn't do all of it. Elisabeth's the one who organised everything. I hate to admit it, but she's been a great help. You made a good call there, Jen."
"Thanks. I was thinking...maybe after the baby's born, she could help us take care of her. Kind of like a nanny."
He frowned.
"Didn't you ever see The Hand That Rocks The Cradle? We could be dealing with another Rebecca de Mornay."
She laughed, shaking her head slowly.
"I think she'll do fine. And I never would have thought you'd watch that movie."
He shrugged.
"Had a thing for Julianne Moore back then and she had a small part in it."
"Of course you did. She's a redhead."
Gibbs nodded, pulling her closer.
"Yeah, but you're my favourite redhead," he said as he kissed her.
She had to admit, it was quite a compliment.
It occurred to Jenny as she sat in her office, that her husband only called her "Jenny" when he was either angry, annoyed, or trying to force something out of her, be it information, honesty, or an idea. Every other time, he simply called her "Jen", and she wondered if it were odd that they never used conventional terms of endearment for one another. It certainly wasn't that she had a problem using them with others, she did it with Zelda, Aries, Beth, Elisabeth, and even Stan Burley, but something about it seemed strange with Gibbs. None of those terms seemed to fit him, and she knew he would probably think something was wrong if she were to start doing it now.
Still, she wondered if perhaps that meant something was wrong with their relationship, and as she picked up her phone, she sighed. She knew it was likely the increase in hormones making her more emotional, but it did nothing to make the feelings go away.
"Burley."
"Hey, Stan. It's Jenny."
"Red! What's up? How's our little Mommy-to-be?"
She laughed.
"I'm good. Just wanted to run something by you if you've got a minute."
"For you, Jenny, I've got a million minutes. How may I be of service?"
"Well...you've known Gibbs and me for a long time. You were there when we first met, and I'm just...I'm wondering if there's something wrong with our relationship. Like...we don't go out to dinner for a date, we don't call each other by anything other than our names, and...is that weird?"
Burley laughed, and she could see him in her mind, shaking his head.
"Your pregnancy brain has you freaking out, doesn't it? Jenny, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You and Gibbs are perfect for each other, you were meant to be together. Just because you don't go on dates doesn't mean anything. You don't have to. You're both just content to be in each other's company, with no distractions, and that's beautiful. And he does call you "Jen", you know. No one else in the world does that or could do that and get away with it. Don't worry about a thing, honey. Don't you think that if it weren't going to work out, it would have been before all of this? He loves you, you love him, both more than life itself, and you would do anything for each other. That's what makes your relationship work so well. It's not the only reason it works, because relationships are definitely hard work, but you two were made for each other."
Jenny allowed his words to truly sink in, nodding when she realised he was right, that she was just making a big deal out of nothing, and when she finally answered him, her voice was much more steady than it had been before.
"Thanks, Stan. Really. You made me feel a lot better."
"No problem, Red. Anytime. And hey, call me when you have that baby. Uncle Stan has a present for her."
Jenny laughed.
"I will. Take care, honey."
"You too. Love you."
"Love you, too."
As she placed her phone back in its proper place, she felt the baby move, causing her to smile as she reached for her tea.
"Okay, I get it. I need to calm down. Thanks for your input, little one."
The answering kick was the best thing she could have felt in that moment.
A/N: Baby Gibbs is right. Jenny needs to calm down.