It wasn't uncommon in the prime of her youth to find herself going to bed with nothing on her stomach other than maybe a glass of liquor. Being a young and advantageous agent allowed her to do things like that with little consequence.

Now that she was entering her mid forties, however, the same could no longer be said.

She doesn't know how long she slept, but whether it be two hours or ten she knows that she really didn't rest at all. Her body ached with the same exhaustion she had gone to sleep with and the bourbon she had drank was sour on her stomach. She should have had the forethought to at least eat something to save herself from feeling like this, but then again, nothing about last night was part of her plan.

Funny how things work.

She knows she's alone in her bed even before her eyes open. They had spent too many years together for her not to be able to sense him. But she knows none of what happened last night was a figment of her imagination, and when she finally does roll over and look the left side of her bed the tousled blankets and crooked pillow only confirm what she already knew; that he had been in her bed last night.

The spot on her arm where the bullet grazed her stings from being slept on all night and she's long overdue for a post flight shower anyway, having not gotten around to it the night before.

There's a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach and she knows it has nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with him and the string of mistakes she continues to make.

Sneaking out of a girls house was something Jethro Gibbs had done plenty of times in his youth and early days as an agent, but not something he had done at this point in his life in a long time.

Yet just before the sun rose this morning he found himself doing just that; slipping undetected out of Jenny's bed and out her front door. The agents placed outside for security hadn't said a word, just offered a friendly nod of acknowledgment and went back to their duty. He was relived; there were questions pertaining to his prolonged visit last night that he didn't want to answer.

He had expected them to scream more than they did. He expected a lot, actually. Nothing in his expectations had led to what actually unfolded between them, and he certainly hadn't expected her to say he was the reason behind her recklessness. Or protecting him, that was.

He wonders how much Mike really knew about that fact.

It's barely past 6am when he reaches the NCIS building and he knows it'll be at least another two hours before any of his team makes it in. They were jet lagged too no doubt, save for McGee who had been in left in limbo during the entire event.

He knows though that if anywhere is going to be occupied, it's autopsy.

"Ah, Jethro."

The lights were still dim as Ducky sat at his desk, a cup of fresh tea clutched in his hands. The doctor was notorious for his early arrival but it seemed even he was still preparing for the day.

"Morning." Gibbs greets gruffly.

"I take it your here to tell me about your stay at Jennifer's?"

Gibbs blinks, a bit taken aback by the question.

"She call you or something?" He asks, trying to discern the most logical reason as to why Ducky would possibly know.

"Jennifer? Heavens no. A lady doesn't kiss and tell, you know." Ducky says, taking a sip of his tea, "I'd be shocked if she did. No one has said a word, but it's fairly obvious by your annoyed expression and that fact I saw you in those clothes yesterday evening that told me all I need to know."

He had assumed no one would have noticed since he hadn't seen his team since landing, but he had stopped at the agency before heading to Jenny's home. Ducky must have caught a glimpse at him in between his arrival and departure.

"How much do you know?" Gibbs asks, deciding not to bother denying any of the doctors assertions.

"If you're referring to Williams Death, I only know what Tony had told me over the phone once the director was found safe."

"Which was?"

Ducky takes another long sip of his tea before answering, "That William hadn't passed of natural causes, and that Jennifer had discovered this and linked it back to a case the three of you had worked in Europe, and that there was likely a hit out on you as well as the Director. The bare bone details is all I know Jethro, nothing more."

So Tony hadn't really told him anything at all then.

"Jen tried to get herself killed." He says lowly.

"Hmm," Ducky ponders, "That doesn't particuarly seem like Jennifer. She's strong willed perhaps, but not reckless. That sounds like another agent that I know."

It was clear Ducky was refer to him and maybe if he weren't so overwhelmed with everything that had unfolded over the last five days he would have had a better comeback for the doctors jab.

"Yeah, well, turns out there's a lot of things about Jen that don't make sense anymore."

Ducky narrows his eyes, "You'll have to elaborate Jethro, it's still early."

Gibbs bites back the urge to remind him it must not have been too early since he managed to surmise where he had been the night before, "She didn't pull the trigger during an op and that's come back to bite everyone. She said Decker knew when it happened. Never told me about it. Decker must have known his days were numbered when he heard our code word. Jen caught wind and decided to take care of it herself."

"Ah, so she was trying to fix a mistake before you found out there ever was one."

Gibbs feels his fist clench at the thought of the diner.

"She wasn't planning on walking out of there alive, Duck."

That renders Ducky speechless for a moment. And why wouldn't it? He was right, none of it seemed like the Jen they knew. She was hot tempered and quick witted but never so thoughtless.

"Jennifer has faced a lot of great personal loss in her life Jethro," Ducky finally says, voice a bit hesitant, "I won't pretend to understand the dynamic of your relationship - and I suspect you hardly understand either - but I know that she wouldn't put herself in the line of fire unless she had something very important to protect."

The implication was clear and he's starting to wonder if maybe he was the only one around here who didn't know what was going on with Jenny.

"Thanks for the talk, Duck."

He turns sharply on his heel, intending to walk away without furthering the conversation, but Ducky's voice reaches him before he manages to get out the door.

"I would sort out whatever it is going on between you two before anything else should happen."

Gibbs doesn't bother responding, but he knows that the silence gave Ducky more of an answer than words probably could have.