A/N: For some reason, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. Hope you enjoy, nonetheless!

Though she would never admit it, Cynthia relied on Agent Gibbs storming into the Director's office to provide a sense of normalcy. She didn't even bother trying to stop him anymore, and the grin he flashed her as he passed made her laugh softly. She suspected that he probably knew she secretly enjoyed seeing him push the boundaries. It gave her a sense of security to know that he'd always be there to antagonise her boss.

From the second he stepped into Jenny's office, he could sense something was different. She hadn't spoken as he'd shut her door and when he looked at her, he frowned. She was sitting behind her desk, her eyes wide and his trained eyes could detect the slightest tremor to her posture. She was deathly pale and he took a step cautiously closer. She didn't move, and his eyes never left her.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Jen?"

He approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her, and stopped in front of her desk.

"Jenny? What's wrong?"

She didn't appear to have heard him, and when he looked into her eyes, they were glassy and unfocused. Her breathing was so shallow that he almost couldn't see it and he reached out to touch her shoulder lightly.

"Jen?"

He snapped his fingers in front of her face and frowned. She was ramrod straight in her chair and her hands were clenched so tightly that he knew there would be crescent shaped indentations on her skin.

"Hey..." his voice was low, and he knelt in front of her, "can you hear me, Shepard?"

Normally, the use of her surname would be enough to catch her attention, but she stared straight ahead. He straightened and made his way to the door, pulling it open quickly.

"Cynthia, call Dr. Mallard. Tell him to come to the Director's office. Now."

Nodding, the young woman picked up the phone. He had to give her credit: her voice never wavered as she relayed his message and when she stood to enter the room, her steps were steady.

"What's wrong, Agent Gibbs?"

He frowned, shaking his head.

"Don't know. How long has it been since you've spoken to her?"

Cynthia shrugged.

"She came back from MTAC about twenty minutes ago. Said she was going to sign off on some reports. I didn't want to disturb her."

Seconds later, they heard footsteps that told them Ducky had arrived. Cynthia returned to her desk, intent on giving them privacy, and the doctor shut Jenny's door quietly. She still hadn't moved, but her breathing had become faster, more ragged. He glanced at Gibbs, hundreds of questions in his eyes and sighed.

"How long has she been this way?"

"Twenty minutes, give or take."

The doctor nodded and slowly made his way to the woman in front of him. He knelt down, reaching out to touch her hand gently, and when he spoke, his voice was soft.

"Jennifer? It's Ducky, can you hear me?"

As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she blinked, jerking away from him and he frowned. Her chair rolled backward and when it hit the wall, she jumped, falling to her knees. Her breath came in short desperate gasps, and Ducky tried to reach out, only to have her smack his hand away. Gibbs, after watching silently for a moment, knelt down, ignoring the screaming in his knees and made his way closer.

"Let me try, Duck."

He nodded and Gibbs slowly crawled to the redhead crumpled up on the floor.

"Jenny...what's wrong?"

She shook her head, and when he reached for her, she lashed out, her hand connecting with his face.

"Don't touch me!"

He recoiled from her, feeling the warm trail of blood dripping down his cheek. Ducky glanced at him and he shook his head. Her entire body was shaking and when he moved closer, she moved closer to the wall.

"Jennifer...you're perfectly safe here. No one is going to hurt you."

She whimpered and curled into herself, closing her eyes. Gibbs inched forward, his hand slowly making its way toward her, and this time, she didn't move away. He touched her cheek gently, trying to meet her eyes, and she blinked, tears dripping onto her hand. Ducky kept his distance, ready to be of service any way he could, and as Gibbs pulled Jenny into his arms, he sighed.

"Shh...it's okay."

"Jethro, would you like me to get some water?"

He nodded and as soon as the doctor had stepped out, Gibbs kissed Jenny's temple lightly. Her body shook with each breath and he cradled her against his chest, pretending he didn't feel the stinging on his cheek.

"What happened, Jen?"

Her head shook and as he opened his mouth to speak, Ducky returned with a glass of water. He held it out and Jenny opened her eyes as Gibbs shifted to take it.

"D-Ducky?"

"That's right."

The doctor gave her a reassuring smile and she raised up slightly, looking at Gibbs with a frown.

"Jethro...you're bleeding."

He shrugged and her eyes widened.

"Oh, God..." she whispered, "Jethro, I—I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"Hush, Jen," his voice was low, giving her more comfort than he knew, "It's okay. I know."

Ducky moved slowly nearer and as he carefully examined her, he couldn't help noticing that she never released her hold on Jethro's hand. He smiled sadly and when he had finished, he kissed her on the cheek, motioning to Gibbs.

Reluctantly, Jenny let go and as the men stepped into the outer office, she furiously wiped away the tears she was ashamed to feel on her face.

"What the hell was that, Ducky?"

"It appeared to be a severe panic attack. When faced with fear, the human mind has three instincts: fight, flight, or freeze. In Jennifer's case, we were dealing with the third. She may not even remember what caused the episode due to the severity. She's going to need time."

Gibbs nodded, taking the tissue that the doctor offered and cleaning the blood from his face. He walked back into Jenny's office and when he saw her sitting behind the desk, he frowned. Typical Jenny, already back at work and pretending that nothing had happened. She glanced up at him as he entered and gave him a smile.

"You okay?"

She nodded and he sat in the chair opposite her desk.

"Jethro, I want to thank you. I can never repay you for what you did today."

He stood, walking around her desk and bending down so that he was level with her.

"You don't need to repay me."

The look she gave him as she pulled him down to her was positively wicked. She deepened the kiss and when she broke away, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"If you want, I can show you my appreciation later."

He nodded once and just as he was about to kiss her again, the intercom on her desk buzzed, breaking their moment.

"Excuse me, Director. Commander Wilkins is waiting on video conference in MTAC."

Jenny quickly answered, giving him a silent apology with her eyes as she spoke.

"I'm on my way, Cynthia."

As she made her way to the door, Gibbs found his eyes glued to the slight sway of her hips as she walked.

Ten hours later, Jenny grabbed her coat and made her way down the steps to the squad room. As she passed the desk belonging to Tony DiNozzo, a light clicked on, causing her to jump. Gibbs smirked at her and as she slowly approached him, she frowned.

"You're still here?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

"Waiting for you."

Gibbs stood, making his way around the desk and slipping into his jacket. Jenny smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and headed to the elevator.

"I'm walking you to your car, Director."

"Thank you, Agent Gibbs."

They stepped into the elevator and he kissed her cheek as the doors closed. Halfway down, the elevator stopped, throwing them into darkness and Jenny sighed, turning to Gibbs.

"What, Jethro?"

He frowned, glancing at her.

"Wasn't me."

"That's not funny."

He flipped the switch and glared at it when nothing happened.

"I swear, Jen, it wasn't me."

Her eyes were wide in the darkness and she pressed the emergency call button on the wall. It lit up, but there was no answer from the security guards.

"Why aren't they there?"

"Only one guard. If he needed to walk the perimeter, no one there to answer."

Jenny sighed and looked over at him.

"What do we do?"

He shrugged.

"Not the first time we've been in the elevator alone."

She smacked his arm lightly and he laughed.

"I don't think we can put it to the same use now. Don't know when it'll start back up," she pointed out.

Jenny sighed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He joined her seconds later and she rested her head on his shoulder. As he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she placed a light hand on his cheek, frowning slightly.

"I really am sorry about this," she murmured, indicating the mark on his face.

He smirked, kissing her hair.

"It's fine. I probably deserved it."

She smiled up at him, her eyes amused.

"Probably."

A soft beep interrupted them and they turned to the speaker on the wall.

"Sorry about the elevator. Should be up and running in about five minutes."

"Thanks," Gibbs answered.

"Anyone else in there with you, Agent Gibbs?"

He smirked.

"Director Shepard."

"Copy that."

Jenny kissed him as he pulled her to her feet and he frowned at the laughter that shook her body.

"What?"

"They're probably surprised that we haven't killed each other."

"True," he conceded, "but if we did that, then I couldn't kiss you anymore."

His lips brushed hers and she pulled him closer to her. He pulled her hair free from its ponytail and he ran his fingers through the silken strands as it cascaded down her shoulders. Just as his lips found her throat, the lights flickered on and they broke apart.

"We'll continue this later?"

She nodded. The doors opened and he held out his hand, allowing her to exit first. As she slid into her car, he gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, careful not to let her driver see him. He closed the door for her and as he walked to his truck, he couldn't keep the slight smirk from his face.

Jenny sighed as she poured another glass of bourbon and when she took a drink, she wiped away the tears falling down her face. She had been meaning to call Jethro when she walked in her door, but the need for alcohol had won. Just as she drained the glass, the ringing of her phone startled her and she swore softly.

"Shepard."

"Good evening, Jennifer."

"Oh, hi, Ducky. How are you?"

"I'm fine, my dear. How are you?"

She paused, unsure of whether or not to be honest and sighed. Her hand ran through her hair, still loose after Jethro had taken it down, and frowned.

"I'm okay, Ducky. Better than this morning, anyway."

"If you need anything, Jennifer, don't hesitate."

She thanked him, hanging up the phone and when she sank down into the chair behind her desk, she placed her head in her hands. Behind her closed eyes, flashes of rough hands flickered, and she could almost feel the vice-like grip around her throat. She jerked upright, her breath catching in her throat and she was embarrassed to find that her hands were shaking. Picking up her phone, her fingers fumbled through her contacts and when she finally pressed the correct button, she put her head on the desk.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Jethro, are you busy?"

"Not particularly. Working on the boat."

She smiled at his answer. His predictability made her feel somewhat safer.

"Would you mind coming by?"

She could almost see him frown.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she lied, grateful that he couldn't see her.

"Jen.."

"I don't want to be alone."

"On my way."

Opening the door, she smiled as he stepped inside, fighting every instinct she had to kiss him as soon as she saw him. He slipped off his shoes, and she led him into her living room, offering him a drink as she walked.

"What's bothering you, Jen?"

"Nothing. I just...I thought we could pick up where we left off this afternoon."

He frowned, not sure where she was heading with this, and she reached out to pull him to her. She wound her hands into his hair and as her tongue danced over his, she smiled.

"Jen...wait."

She ignored him, pushing his jacket from his shoulders and bringing her lips to his throat. Pulling him up the stairs, she smiled when she felt his resistance failing. His hands tangled in her hair and as he yanked her shirt over her head, she laughed quietly.

"In a hurry, Jethro?"

"You were the one who didn't want to wait," he reminded her.

"True."

He gently pushed her back to her bed, smirking as she pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside. He slid her grey slacks off and pinned her wrists above her head with a smile. Her eyes flashed with fear for a moment and he immediately released her, looking into her eyes seriously.

"You okay?"

She nodded and brought his lips to hers again. Her hands gripped his shoulders and when her teeth grazed over his pulse point, he moaned. She hooked her leg around him and as the last of their clothing was removed, he stopped to watch her reaction.

"We don't have to do this, Jen."

She shook her head, meeting his eyes fully.

"Please, Jethro."

He kissed her again and trailed his fingertips lightly over her skin. He slowly entered her, watching her carefully, and when she nodded, he began to move. Jenny ran her tongue along the shell of his ear and when he whispered her name, she smiled. Her hips met his and he could already feel himself getting close. She wasn't far behind him, but he wanted to make sure that her needs were met before his own. He reached down between them to touch her, gently at first, then with a growing urgency.

"Oh, God..." she whispered, her head falling back.

"Jethro will do, Jen."

"Shut up."

Both of their worlds exploded behind closed eyes at nearly the same time and as her grip on his shoulders tightened, he kissed her harder than he had in weeks. She moaned into his mouth and as she finally stopped shaking, he placed a light kiss to her forehead.

He moved next to her and pulled her into his arms, smiling as her hair brushed across his chest. She gave him a soft kiss and when she spoke, there was a warmth in her voice he hadn't heard in far too long.

"Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"What for?"

She frowned, unsure of how to explain.

"You...you didn't rush me. You gave me the time I needed to process everything. I haven't been the easiest person to be around lately."

He kissed her again and she laughed as his fingers trailed across her skin.

"I've missed that."

"What?" she frowned, giving him a confused glare.

"Your laugh. You don't laugh much anymore, Jen. You should."

She smiled and settled back down into his arms. His words spun around in her head for hours after he had fallen asleep and she found herself wondering what else about her had changed over the years.

Jenny swore as she tightly held onto the wood of the boat in Jethro's basement. She knew, without looking, that a large splinter had embedded itself in her finger. He glanced up at her, not noticing the pain in her eyes and as he pushed her back down onto the frame, he kissed her again. Her orgasm crashed through her, overriding all thoughts of the pain in her hand and when she was finally able to open her eyes again, she smiled.

He held out his hand to help her up and she reached out with her good hand. Gathering her clothes, she shook her head when he offered her a drink as she dressed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just have to drive home."

He nodded and as she walked toward the stairs, he pulled her back to him, kissing her ear gently.

"Be safe," he whispered.

She nodded, his lips making it difficult for her to breathe. She finally tore herself away and gave him a rare smile and he smirked as he took a slow drink of his bourbon. Something was off with her, but he knew better than to push her.

Fumbling with the knife in her hand, Jenny sighed as she attempted to pry the splinter from her finger. She supposed she could have tried a pair of tweezers, but it had already burrowed deeper into her skin. The blade slipped, slicing into her hand and she hissed, dropping the knife.

"Son of a bitch!"

She picked up the knife and tried again, digging deeper than she'd meant to and when she picked up her phone, she angrily called Gibbs.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"The next time you want to have sex in your basement, remind me to say no."

"What happened?"

She frowned, still focused on finding the tiny piece of wood.

"Got a damn splinter. Trying to get it out now," she said through gritted teeth.

"Want me to come help?"

"Jethro, I am a grown woman. I am more than capable of getting a splinter out of my hand."

She pointedly didn't tell him that she'd already sliced into her hand and he sighed.

"I'm coming to help."

"Jethro—"

The click in her ear was infuriating and she groaned, tossing her phone to the ground. She resumed the task of trying to find the splinter and the more her blade slipped, the more angry she became. Hot, angry tears fell from her eyes and she furiously sank to her knees, holding her hand out in front of her.

She didn't know how long she stayed on her floor, but when her front door opened, she felt the cold air and shivered.

"Jenny?"

She didn't answer, still trying to get the knife deeper in the hopes that the splinter would come out. He knelt in front of her, and as he gently took her wrist in his hand, he looked at her seriously.

"Jen...stop. What's going on?"

She pulled away from him and shook her head. He slowly took the knife from her hand and tilted her head up so she would look at him.

"Jen."

"I can't...Jethro, I couldn't find it."

He frowned, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Find what?"

"The splinter. I tried...I couldn't find it."

He reached out and pulled her to her feet, leading her to the kitchen. He placed her hand under the faucet and turned the water on, gently cleaning out the cut on her hand. She winced as he felt around for the splinter and when the tiny sliver of wood fell into his hand, he smiled.

"Got it."

She pulled her hand away, pretending she didn't notice the tears falling from her eyes. Gibbs watched her carefully, handing her a towel and when he wrapped it around her hand, she sighed.

"Thanks," she whispered.

As she walked back into the living room, Gibbs watched her, unsure if he should follow and finally his curiosity overpowered him. It was so unlike Jenny to break down over something as insignificant as a splinter, but he'd come to notice that her mental state was more than a little unpredictable since her attack.

Jenny made her way into the bathroom and turned the faucet on, letting the tub fill with water. The thing she needed now was to relax, and she could think of no better way. She could hear Gibbs downstairs and allowed herself a small smile as she heard him speaking on the phone. Assuming it was a case, she walked back down to her living room, preparing to pour herself a glass of wine.

Pulling out his phone, Gibbs called the one person he knew he could discuss Jenny's situation with, and as the doctor answered on the second ring, he hoped that she wouldn't reappear any time soon.

"Hey, Duck. Got a question."

"Of course, Jethro. By all means, ask away."

"After a sexual assault, is the victim more likely to become overly emotional about situations that normally wouldn't present a problem?"

"You mean Jennifer," the doctor replied knowingly.

"Yeah. She freaked out over a splinter in her hand. Nearly cut her finger off trying to get it out."

"Is she alright?"

"She is now."

"To answer your question, Jethro, yes. She is likely going to be a bit more fragile than normal now. As for how long it will last, your guess is as good as mine. As I've told you, just be patient. She'll come around."

"Thanks."

He hung up just as Jenny descended the stairs and flashed her a smile. She returned it briefly and he pulled her close to him.

"Going to take a bath?"

She nodded, closing her eyes as she breathed in the scent of sawdust, bourbon, and coffee.

"Just getting a glass of wine."

He kissed her and allowed her to step away. He walked to the door, waiting until she had returned with her drink to speak and he smiled again.

"Be safe, Jen. I'll see you in the morning."

He opened the door, and just as he stepped onto the porch, she called his name, making him pause.

"Thank you. For everything."

He smirked.

"Rule 28, Jen."

She laughed and shut the door, turning to walk up her stairs. Stopping to grab her phone, she quickly texted him, knowing that he would see it when he reached his house. Hoping she remembered the correct number for the rule, she smirked as she tossed her phone on her bed before walking into her bathroom. She slid into the warm water and as she sipped her wine, she finally allowed herself to cry.

The little blinking light on his phone alerted him to a text message and as he flipped it open, he smiled when he saw Jenny's name on the screen. As he read her message, he smirked, proud that she had remembered the rule at all.

Jethro-

Rule 64.

-Jen

He texted her back the same words and smiled as he made his way to his basement. Her meaning was clear by the text and he poured a drink, wondering why she had opted to respond to his remark through a message. He supposed it didn't matter, but something about it felt strange. Of course, Jenny had been acting less than normal lately anyway, so he tried not to read too much into it.

Rule 64 had been added after he'd lost Shannon and Kelly, not that he had ever broken it. He had always told his wife and daughter that he'd loved them, but he'd felt it warranted a place on his list regardless. Jenny's presence in his life had only solidified his belief, but they weren't words to be said lightly. She knew that, and he was thankful that she understood. He only hoped he could help pull her back from the edge she seemed to be so close to falling from.

A/N: Rule 28-if you need help, ask. That one is actually mentioned in the show. Rule 64-Always say "I love you" when you mean it. That one, I made up myself. Let me know what you think!