A/N: Here is the chapter you've been waiting for, Esquinzo. I hope you enjoy, but it's not over yet!

Jenny smiled as she reached for the coffee being handed to her by the barista and handed over her money.

"Have a nice day, ma'am."

She frowned as her change was handed to her. Something was familiar about his voice , but she couldn't quite place it. It wasn't until she glanced down that her eyes widened slightly. The tattoo was exactly how she'd remembered it, and she froze.

"Is everything okay, ma'am?"

Blinking furiously, Jenny forced a smile onto her face.

"Of course, I was just admiring your tattoo."

He flashed her a smile.

"Thanks. Had it since I was nineteen."

She nodded and walked away, pulling out her phone as she made her way to the door. She fought to keep her panic down and as she waited for an answer, she held her drink tightly.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Jethro, I found him."

"Found who?"

"Jethro," she pleaded, "get down here. Hurry."

She told him her location and pulled open the door to her car, sliding into the seat. Her hands were shaking terribly and her breath was shallow. Less than ten minutes later, there was a knock on her window and she jumped, swearing lightly.

"Jen? Open the door."

She did as he asked, and he looked down at her seriously.

"Where?"

Her shaking hand gestured to the coffee shop and he took a step forward. She grabbed his arm quickly, her voice low and urgent.

"Jethro, wait. He didn't recognise me. Don't make a scene. He's the barista."

Glancing at her, he nodded once and started moving again. It was going to take all the self-control he possessed not to strangle the man where he stood.

"Excuse me."

Gibbs kept his voice polite and when the younger man turned around, he gave him a smile.

"What can I get you, sir?"

Noting the tattoo on his wrist, Gibbs schooled his face into a neutral expression. He flashed his badge and took out Jenny's Naval ID picture.

"Do you recognise this woman?"

The man frowned, looking at the picture briefly.

"Yeah. Comes in nearly every day. Just came in about twenty minutes ago. What's she done?"

Gibbs shook his head, looking at him seriously.

"Nothing. Mind coming with me to answer a few questions?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Then you don't have anything to worry about. Let's go."

His protests fell on deaf ears as Gibbs grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. Jenny could see them from where she sat in her car, but made no move to confront them. Instead, she put her car in gear and made her way carefully to the Navy Yard, her heart racing as she got closer to her destination.

"DiNozzo, stick with the Director. Going to interrogation."

Tony frowned as Gibbs passed him, and when Jenny emerged from the elevator a minute later, he approached her carefully.

"Director Shepard. What's going on?"

"We found him."

He nodded, and she sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"I'm going to watch the interrogation."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Director?"

She glared at him and he quickly backtracked.

"I mean...at least let one of us come with you."

She knew, somehow, that Gibbs was behind his insistence, and nodded.

"Very well. Come on, Tony."

As he followed Jenny into the observation room, Tony frowned. Her steps were confident, but if he looked closely, he could have sworn he saw a slight tremor to her body. Gibbs was already sitting behind the table, silently staring at the man. Jenny could tell he was barely containing his rage, and she was secretly very proud of the restraint he was displaying.

"I told you I didn't do anything."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Is this about the woman in that picture? I don't know her. She comes in for coffee and leaves. That's it!"

"Really?"

He looked at the tattoo pointedly and frowned.

"Nice tattoo. Matches this one pretty closely, don't you think?"

Gibbs pulled out the sketch Jenny had drawn and slid it across the table. Glancing at it, the man shrugged.

"Yeah, so?"

"This is a sketch done by the woman you raped two months ago in the parking lot."

"What are you talking about? I didn't rape anyone! That's crazy!"

"Then you won't mind giving us a DNA sample."

The man glared at Gibbs, his eyes flashing.

"I have rights!"

Gibbs pulled the folder sitting in front of him open, slamming photos down in front of the younger man, and glared. He hadn't looked at the pictures since they'd been taken, but he forced himself to look now.

"Do you see this? This woman had rights! Rights you violated by forcing her to the ground. See these bruises? You did this! You took away her rights when you tried to strangle her."

Jenny closed her eyes and turned away, not sure how much more she could take. Tony looked at her, concerned, and when he spoke, his concern coloured his voice.

"You okay?"

She didn't answer and he frowned. Though he wasn't sure how she would react, he reached out, touching her shoulder gently.

"Jenny?"

"I'm fine, Tony."

She looked anything but fine, yet Tony decided not to comment on it. She turned back to the window and watched as Gibbs slammed his hand down on the table, causing the man to jump.

"Are you going to willingly cooperate or do I have to take it by force, the way you attacked this woman?"

There was no answer, and Gibbs turned, beckoning to the agent he knew was watching them. Tony took a step forward, but Jenny's hand stopped him.

"I'll do it."

"Uh, Director, I don't think you—"

"Stay, DiNozzo. That's an order."

Nodding, Tony sighed as Jenny walked past him, and just knew, with a sinking feeling, that Gibbs was going to kill him.

If he was surprised when Jenny opened the interrogation room door, Gibbs didn't show it. Jenny held out a mouth swabbing kit and when he reached for it, he met her eyes briefly. He could see the fear in her eyes as she stood in the room with the man who had brutally raped her, but she hid it well.

"Hey, you're-"

"Shut up and open your mouth."

Glaring at the former marine, the man opened his mouth and fixed them both with a look that made Jenny's skin crawl. The last time she'd seen that look in those eyes, she'd been pinned under them.

"Satisfied?"

Walking out of the room, Jenny threw Gibbs a look over her shoulder and she shut the door softly behind her. Gibbs silently stood up, preparing to take the sample to Abby, and the voice behind him made him stop cold.

"She's prettier in the daylight."

Gibbs couldn't help it. He pulled his arm back, not even flinching as his closed fist connected with the man's jaw, and as the chair toppled over, he closed the door with a force that caused DiNozzo to jump on the other side of the wall.

"Boss?"

"Not now. Get this to Abby."

"On it, boss."

"Where's the Director?"

"In her office."

Nodding, Gibbs stepped onto the elevator and as Tony walked to Abby's lab, he couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face. The Goth smiled at his sudden appearance and as she took the sample from him, she looked back at him curiously.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Gibbs just punched the hell out of our suspect."

She turned, shock clearly written all over her face.

"Why?"

"He made some comment about the Director being prettier in the daylight and Gibbs snapped. Never seen him like that before."

Abby frowned.

"How is she?"

"Jenny? Pretty shaken up. She hid it pretty well when she got the sample, but I could see it."

"This is so awful. I can't even imagine what she's going through. But, we have the DNA sample, plus we found tiny hair follicles on her coat that didn't match the Director's, so we're going to get him. I know we will."

Tony looked at her, giving her a smile, and she frowned.

"We have to, Tony."

Jenny was nowhere in sight when Gibbs opened her office door, and he frowned. Cynthia had said she was in, but there was no trace of her. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a low retching sound filled the room, and he made his way slowly to the bathroom just off the side of her office. Pushing open the door slowly, Gibbs felt his eyes narrow as he took in the sight of his favourite redhead being violently sick into her toilet. Approaching her cautiously so as not to scare her, her reached out to gather her hair behind her, and when she met his eyes, he could see the tears in her own. As she straightened, he noticed that she was shaking, and he reached for her. She shrugged him off, and rinsed her mouth, refusing to look at him again.

She brushed past him and sank down weakly on her couch, not fighting him when he joined her, and her head fell onto his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, and kissed the side of her head gently.

"You okay?"

Silently, she shook her head and he took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb lightly over it.

"We're gonna get him, Jen. We have pictures, his DNA, video of the crime. It's done."

"Seeing him again...the look in his eyes...I know he can't hurt me, but...all I want to know is why."

He frowned, kissing her again.

"Why isn't important right now. What is important is that you're safe, and he's never going to hurt you again."

Jenny nodded, not entirely believing him, but she decided it would be best to say nothing.

"Is he still in interrogation?"

Gibbs hugged her before nodding and stood, pulling her with him. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply and kissed the top of her head.

"You're safe here, Jenny."

It wasn't until Gibbs had been gone for fifteen minutes that Jenny finally made her decision. She wanted answers, and she wasn't leaving until she had them.

Taking a deep breath, Jenny pushed open the door to the interrogation room, giving herself credit for not flinching when he looked up.

"How long do I have to sit here?"

There was dried blood on his lip, and Jenny frowned. That hadn't been there when she'd left earlier.

"As long as this takes. I have questions."

He glared at her and she crossed her arms, leaning against the door.

"I don't even know your name," she commented lightly.

"Shawn Harrison. Anything else? My weight? My hopes and dreams? Shoe size?"

"Why?"

He frowned, and Jenny glared at him.

"Why?" he repeated.

"You raped me. You destroyed any sense of security I had. You've taken away parts of me that I will never get back. I want to know why. Did I stutter?"

He smirked and Jenny clenched her teeth, fighting the very strong urge she had to punch him.

"I like the power. I knew who you were, knew where you worked. All your fancy security detail couldn't stop me, and you were powerless under me. You couldn't get away, no matter how much you fought, and that's better than anything."

She frowned at his words, considering them carefully.

"Are you saying there were others?"

Laughing, he leaned back slightly in his chair.

"You're not the first uptight bitch to try to stop me."

Before she could comprehend what had happened, he had stood from the chair, his hand closing around her throat. He shoved her against the door, lifting her slightly off the ground, and as she closed her eyes, he leaned closer.

"You really think that you can deny it? You liked it. You enjoyed the way it felt. You might have everyone else fooled, but not me."

She kept struggling, and swung her foot desperately. It connected with his shin and he hissed in pain, releasing his hold on her. She blindly felt for the door handle and as she bolted for the hall, she drew in sharp painful breaths. Leaning against the door, she closed her eyes and it was a few moments before she realised she wasn't alone.

"Jenny?"

She slowly opened her eyes, looking at the younger man and he frowned. She didn't correct his use of her name, and even that was enough to cause concern.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and as he looked at her, Tony noticed that her throat was slightly reddened.

"Did he touch you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Tony. Just...don't tell Gibbs. I don't want him causing more trouble."

"Well, he already decked the guy."

Jenny frowned, her hand unconsciously going to her throat.

"He did?"

"Yeah."

She smirked, still lightly massaging her throat and Tony offered her a smile.

"What Gibbs doesn't know..." she began softly.

"Can't hurt us," he finished.

Gibbs could feel her eyes on him as he worked, but chose to pretend otherwise. She'd been quickly depleting his supply of bourbon, so he knew it was only a matter of time before she told him what was on her mind.

"I asked him why."

There it was. He turned to look at her, his brow furrowing, and carefully put down his sander.

"When?"

"After you left my office. He—he told me that he liked the power. Said I wasn't the first to try stopping him."

She took another long drink and she held his gaze steadily, waiting for him to speak.

"He...Gibbs, he tried to tell me that I liked it. That I wanted it."

Gibbs took a step closer to her, his eyes flashing angrily.

"He said that to you?"

She nodded.

"Right before he pinned me up against the wall. I couldn't breathe, his hand was so tight, but—"

"He touched you?"

Flinching at his angry tone, she nodded, indicating her throat. For the first time, he noticed the slightly bruised skin and his fury grew. She took a step back, her eyes wide, and he closed his eyes. He needed to get his emotions under control before he spoke next.

"I'm sorry, Jethro," she whispered.

Gibbs frowned, looking at her confusedly.

"Why?"

"You're angry."

His head shook and he approached her slowly.

"Not at you. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm angry at him. I want to kill him. But, that wouldn't really help matters."

He was directly in front of her now, and he reached out to touch her face gently. She flinched at his touch and he frowned.

"Jen...you know I would never hurt you, right?"

She nodded, tears slipping from her eyes, and he ran his thumb under them, wiping away the tears.

"Jethro..."

Her voice was low and pained, and he frowned.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

She bolted from where she stood, grabbing the closest empty bucket she could find, and he watched her sadly. He wished he could have said that she was only sick from the bourbon, but after seeing her this way at her office, he knew better. Her nerves were completely shot, she'd been subsiding on little to no sleep, and she'd just confronted the man who had very nearly destroyed her life.

Finally, Jenny collapsed on the floor of his basement, and when he was sure she was through vomiting, he made his way to her. She was sobbing violently, borderline hysterical, and he pulled her into his arms, running his hand lightly over her hair.

"Shh...it's okay. I got you. You're safe now. Shh."

Her sobs broke his heart and as she shook in his embrace, he tightened his hold on her.

"Shh...I love you, Jen. Don't ever forget that."

She coughed and he immediately reached for the bucket. She emptied the sparse contents of her stomach, and he brushed her slightly damp hair back from her face, refusing to let go of her. She fell back against his chest, tears falling down her face and as he tried to calm her, he could tell she was having trouble breathing.

"Jen?"

"I h-hate this. I'm not supposed t-to break down like this. I'm the goddamned Director of a federal agency! I should be s-stronger than this."

She leaned forward, catching herself on her hands and her hair fell around her face, shielding it from his view. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs and she slammed her fist down on the hard concrete floor, ignoring the pain that shot through her.

"What is wrong with me, Jethro? W-why can't I let this go?"

He touched her shoulder and she jerked away, sniffling slightly.

"Don't. P-please."

"Jenny, stop. Let me help you."

"No! I have to do this alone. I can't b-be this fucking weak. I c-can't...I can't do this anymore."

He took her hand in his, turning it over gently, and wiping away the blood with the end of his shirt. Her hands were shaking terribly and he looked at her seriously.

"When did you last eat?"

"I don't remember," she murmured.

He nodded, and gathered her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he dared. He didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want her to feel alone, either. She sobbed against his chest, and he stroked her hair in what he hoped was a soothing motion.

"Don't cry, Jen. There's nothing wrong with you. It's perfectly natural to feel this way after a traumatic event."

She didn't answer, and he kissed her hair gently.

"Would you like me to call Ducky? Would talking to him help?"

She nodded, but as he reached for his phone, her low voice made him pause.

"Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"You've helped me so much. Thank you. For everything."

He nodded, and she reached up to touch his cheek softly.

"I mean it. I love you. More than anything in the world."

He placed a light kiss to her lips and smiled.

"I love you too, Jennifer."

She frowned, a confused laugh escaping her, and he smirked.

"You never call me Jennifer."

"Made you laugh, didn't it?"

She smirked back at him and he picked up his phone.

"I love you so much," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

As the quiet Scottish voice of the doctor filled his ear, Gibbs shifted, holding Jenny more securely in his free arm.

"Jethro, how are you?"

"Fine. You busy, Duck?"

"Not at all. Just finished bathing Mother's corgis, but I was just settling down to a cup of tea. Did you need something?"

"Was wondering if you could swing by. Jenny wants to talk to you."

"Is Jennifer alright?"

Gibbs frowned, sure that Jenny could hear both sides of the conversation, but she was too preoccupied with reaching for the bourbon she had abandoned earlier. As he watched her swallow the drink swiftly, he ran his hand through his hair.

"Not really. You might want to bring something with you."

"A sedative? She's really that bad?"

"Worse."

"I'm on my way, Jethro."

Gibbs hung up and as Jenny pulled herself up from the floor, he watched her, prepared to catch her if she fell. Her steps were shaky and she made her way slowly to the work table, gripping the bottle of bourbon in her unsteady hand. He stood, brushing off the sawdust and slowly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from taking another drink.

"Enough, Jen. Slow down. You'll regret it in the morning."

She glared at him, but nodded nonetheless. Her eyes lingered on his lips and before he could comprehend what was happening, she had captured his mouth with her own. He kissed her back for a moment before pulling away gently, and when he met her eyes, she smiled.

"Tony told me that you hit him."

Gibbs shrugged, kissing her again. She laughed as he moved away from her, and when his fingers lightly brushed over her bruised throat, he frowned.

"After this, I should do more than that."

"You can't kill him, Jethro. That's an order."

He gave her a mock salute, and when she smiled, he gave her one in return.

"Yes, ma'am."

Soft footsteps above their head alerted them to Ducky's arrival, and Gibbs smiled, kissing her once while he still had time.

"Talk to him. Tell him everything, Jen."

She nodded and ran her hand through his hair. She let her fingers linger slightly longer than necessary and when Ducky came down the steps, she used the distraction he provided to down more of the bourbon Gibbs had stopped her from drinking.

"Hello, Jethro. Jennifer."

She smiled at the doctor, making her way haphazardly over to him. She hugged him gently, and he frowned at Gibbs. He could smell the bourbon on her, and Gibbs shrugged, holding up his hands in surrender.

"I tried, Duck. You know Jenny."

Ducky snorted.

"I doubt you tried very hard," he remarked dryly.

"Very funny."

The doctor took Jenny's arm, leading her toward the steps.

"Shall we, my dear? Let's leave Jethro to his boat while we have a chat."

She nodded, giving Gibbs one last look as she allowed the Scotsman to help her to the upper floor. Once they had reached the kitchen, Ducky began brewing a pot of coffee, knowing that the future Jenny would thank him for it later. As it brewed, Jenny sat down at the table, closing her eyes. Ducky took the seat next to her, and waited, knowing she would speak when she was ready.

"We found him, Ducky."

He nodded, and she took a shaky breath. As he observed her, he noticed the bruising on her throat and frowned.

"Jennifer, what happened to your neck?"

She glanced at him, not really wanting to meet his gaze, and sighed.

"I confronted him. Asked him why he did it. He pinned me to the wall, told me that I liked it."

Ducky reached for her hand across the table and patted it gently.

"You know that isn't true, don't you?"

She nodded.

"Of course, But, Ducky...I'm so tired of being scared. Of feeling like I don't have any control."

The coffee had finished brewing and he stood to pour her a cup, sliding it in front of her.

"I get so scared that it makes me sick. Seeing him again, being in the same room with him, it made me so sick that I couldn't breathe. I pushed Jethro away, told him that I needed to handle this on my own. And I do."

"Why?"

The question caught her off guard, and she was silent for a moment. She sipped her coffee slowly, inhaling the rich scent that never failed to remind her of Gibbs and she frowned.

"Because...I need to prove that I can. I need to know that I can still handle things alone. I've always been able to look after myself, and I need to be able to do that again."

"Jennifer," Ducky's voice was sad, "there is nothing wrong with asking for help. We all need help from time to time, and in a situation like this, needing help is completely understandable."

"But I don't want to need it!" she exclaimed, slamming her cup down, "I hate feeling weak, and this makes me feel like I'm just a scared little girl who can't take care of herself."

"But you aren't," he reminded her gently, "You're still perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but there are people here to help when you need it."

Jenny furiously wiped away her tears, not wanting to admit that he was right. Ducky knew that if she had been completely sober, she would have shut him out, and for once, he was thankful for the alcohol she had consumed.

"I feel like such a burden, Ducky," she whispered, "I don't want anyone to worry about me. Not you, not the team, especially not Jethro. I can't let them be burdened by my pathetic problems."

Ducky stood, giving her a reassuring hug, and kissed her cheek softly.

"Jennifer...whether you confide in them or not, they will still worry. And you're not pathetic."

As Ducky poured her another cup of coffee, Jenny closed her eyes, running her fingers through her hair. If either of them had stepped out of the kitchen, or even glanced over, they would have seen Gibbs standing silently at the entrance, a few stray tears falling as he listened to every word Jenny had said. He turned to walk back down to his basement, silently making a promise to both himself and the woman he loved that she would never feel weak or pathetic again. He didn't care if it took the rest of their lives, he was going to keep her safe, no matter what happened.

A/N: I'm only able to write on my days off, of which I only have one every 15 days, so I hope you will forgive my sporadic updates.