A/N: Here, we see Jenny finally tell Gibbs about her illness. Hope you enjoy! Esquinzo, hope you were able to read them in the correct order this time. I can only imagine how confusing it must have been.

Jennifer Shepard had been through more than her fair share of pain in her life, but this was by far the most conflicting situation she'd ever been in. It had been nearly a week since Ducky had given her the diagnosis, and she still hadn't thought of a way to tell Gibbs. She'd considered multiple scenarios, yet none of them seemed appropriate.

Turning the ring she wore on its chain, she frowned as she realised that she would have to be particularly careful the next time they were together intimately. Antibiotics canceled out the effects of birth control and she definitely did not want to risk becoming pregnant. Not now. Not ever, if she were truly honest. Somehow, she doubted that would be an issue today. She'd woken up feeling as though she'd been hit by a truck, and though she'd tried to shake it off, she couldn't manage more than a few steps without feeling unbearably dizzy.

As such, she'd stayed in her office for the majority of the morning, and though it was approaching lunch time, she'd decided it would be safer to skip it. Ducky would kill her, she knew, but she simply didn't think she could handle leaving her office.

"Director Shepard?"

She glanced up, embarrassed that she hadn't heard Cynthia knock, and smiled.

"Yes?"

"I'm taking my lunch break. Would you like me to bring you something back?"

Well. Problem solved.

"A salad would be nice."

The young woman nodded, smiling at her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Cynthia."

Her door swung shut and Jenny picked up her glasses, trying to read through her email yet again. She sighed as her eyes refused to focus, and after a few minutes of staring at the screen, she tore her glasses off her face in frustration. The silver door of her office bounced off the wall as it was thrown open and she smiled tiredly.

"Good afternoon, Agent Gibbs. Can I help you with something?"

He closed the door and made his way closer to her, smiling as he sat across from her.

"Yeah. Got a bit of a problem."

She raised her eyebrow in question, and he continued.

"My Senior Field Agent is having trouble getting any work done."

She frowned.

"Why?"

"Because he won't shut up about you breaking a certain suspect's nose. He's told damn near everyone in the building and now they keep asking him to give the play-by-play."

Jenny smirked, taking a slow drink from her coffee.

"Am I supposed to apologise?"

"No. Just thought you'd want to know everyone is now even more terrified of you."

"Hm...maybe I'll have to join you in the field more often. Secure my reputation."

He smirked, kissing her cheek as he stood.

"Nah. I'd say that's pretty much taken care of."

She smiled as he left, laying her head down as soon as the door had clicked shut behind him. How in the world was she supposed to tell him?

As she sat in the basement reading, she could feel his movements and knew without looking that he was standing directly behind her. Closing her book, she turned to face him, giving him a slightly exasperated smile.

"What?"

"Just admiring the view."

She rolled her eyes and opened her book again, pushing him gently.

"Go play with your boat."

He smirked, reaching around her to pick up his mason jar and as he swallowed, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his throat. Shaking her head to clear it, she mentally kicked herself. Sex was off limits, at least until she found a way to tell him about the antibiotics she was taking. Standing on slightly shaking legs, Jenny excused herself for the night, and he frowned as she leaned down to kiss him.

"You okay?"

She nodded, but he didn't quite believe her.

"I'm just tired."

Now that he believed.

"Get some sleep, Jen. You look exhausted."

She kissed him again and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't stay up too late."

As she walked up the stairs to the bedroom, her vision began to spin and she held on tightly to the railing to steady herself.

"Shit," she whispered, fighting the urge to slide down the wall.

Finally, she was able to move again and when she collapsed on the bed a few minutes later, she didn't even notice that she was still fully clothed.

Gibbs smirked as he walked into the bedroom four hours later and looked at Jenny curled up on the bed. He frowned as he noticed she was still wearing the clothes she'd worn to work and he sighed sadly. She really did work too much. Gently, so as not to wake her, he slid her skirt down her body, and unbuttoned the crisp white Oxford she wore, folding them as he set them aside. He didn't bother dressing her in anything else, wanting to feel her skin as she slept and when he pulled her into his arms, she moaned softly.

He kissed her forehead, frowning when he felt the heat of her skin beneath his lips and he brushed her hair back from her face. She was undeniably running a fever, but with no way to check it without waking her, he had no idea how severe it was. He gently shook her, not wanting to scare her, and when her eyes opened, they were glassy and unfocused.

"Hey," he whispered, smiling at her.

"Hi," she mumbled, trying to ignore him and sleep.

"Jen, you're running a fever. Can you stay awake long enough for me to check it?"

She nodded, but her eyes slipped closed again and he tapped her cheek lightly.

"You can sleep as soon as I'm done. It'll only take a minute."

He went into his bathroom, searching for the thermometer and when he returned, Jenny was already falling asleep again.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Open."

She rolled her eyes as she opened her mouth.

"I'm not a child," she spat.

He ran his hand through her hair and smiled.

"Hush. You can't talk with it in your mouth."

"I feel like you've said that before."

He couldn't help it. He laughed and she gave him a weak smile. The thermometer beeped a minute later and he frowned as he examined it closely.

"Not too high, but high enough."

"How bad?"

"103.4. It should break soon, but you're going to stay in bed until it does."

"No arguments here."

She closed her eyes again and rolled onto her side, trying to reclaim the comfort she'd had before he'd woken her. He kissed her hair gently and laid down beside her, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too," Jenny murmured.

As he watched her sleep, he tried to ignore the feeling that something more serious was going on. She would have told him if she was severely sick. Wouldn't she?

Jenny tried to move away from him in her sleep as he attempted to wake her the next morning. She didn't appear to be running a fever anymore, but until he had checked, she was going to have to get used to being woken up. He shook her gently, and when she opened her eyes, she glared at him.

"What?"

"Need to check your temperature."

She shook her head, pulling the sheet more tightly around her.

"I'm sleeping."

"Really? Well, you're remarkably coherent for someone asleep," he said sarcastically.

"Shut up."

He picked up the thermometer and she sighed as she opened her mouth. As she waited, she leaned back against his chest and he ran his fingertips over her skin lightly. She shivered beneath his touch and he kissed the exposed skin of her throat. The shrill beep of the thermometer halted any of his other plans and as he glanced at it, he smiled.

"Still slightly up, but you'll be fine today. 99.2."

She smiled back at him and looked into his eyes seriously.

"Now...where were we?"

"Jen...I don't think—"

"That's a good start."

She kissed him slowly, running her hands over his chest.

"Don't think. Just go with it."

He really wasn't sure if he was making the right decision or not, but as her lips found his again, all protests left his mind. Still, no matter how much he wanted her, he would never forgive himself if he hurt her. He pushed her back gently, hoping to clear the fog in his mind, and when she pouted slightly, he sighed.

"Not yet. I don't want you to get worse."

She sighed, knowing he was right, but still annoyed nonetheless.

"Fine, but you owe me, gunny."

He kissed her again, pausing to let his lips brush over her ear.

"Oh, don't worry, Jen. When you're able, I'll rock your world."

She smirked, sitting up and searching for comfortable clothing to wear.

"I'm holding you to that."

Though she tried for nearly twenty minutes after her alarm went off, Jenny simply couldn't get out of bed. Gibbs was already downstairs making coffee, and as she forced herself to sit up, her vision was filled with black spots. She held her head in her hand for a moment and when she heard the quiet voice at the door, she sighed.

"Jen? You okay?"

She shook her head, raising up to look at him carefully. Her skin was deathly pale and he could see her shaking even from where he stood. He frowned, taking a drink of his coffee and she sighed again. He was more than a little confused as he walked closer, looking at her seriously. She'd been fine the night before, hell, they'd even had sex, but now she could hardly hold her head up.

"Jenny. What's going on? Talk to me."

Reaching for her purse, she pulled out the piece of paper Ducky had given her with her diagnosis and handed it to him silently. His bright blue eyes skimmed it and once they had finished, they met hers in confusion.

"You're sick."

It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway.

"How bad?"

Her head shook, red hair shielding her face and she took a deep breath.

"It can be cured, I'm taking antibiotics, so hopefully everything will be fine. The—the symptoms come and go. Some days are harder than others, but for the most part, I can manage."

He nodded. He knew she'd been taking the medication, but he had assumed it to be for the fever she'd had earlier in the week. In a way, he supposed he was right.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...We've already been through so much the past five months. I didn't want to make things worse."

He took her hand in his, kissing it gently.

"That's crazy. I'm always gonna be here for you. No matter what."

He reached into her purse, pulling out the paper she still kept tucked in her wallet.

"Remember this? It's still true."

Jenny smiled weakly, and he kissed her cheek.

"You're not going in to work today."

"Jethro, I—"

"Not up for debate. We're staying home. I have a surprise for you, anyway."

As he walked away to call Cynthia and Tony, Jenny leaned back against the pillow, feeling more relieved than she had in days.

Gibbs swept her into his arms and, ignoring her protests, carried her to his truck, placing her carefully in the seat. He'd helped her dress earlier, saying that she needed to be warmer, and now as they drove at nearly breakneck speed, Jenny looked at him confusedly.

"Where are we going?"

"Told you. Surprise."

"I hate surprises."

He smirked, glancing over at her.

"I know. But you'll like this one. Close your eyes."

Sighing dramatically, Jenny did as she was told and when the truck stopped twenty minutes later, it was a struggle to keep them closed. Gibbs opened her door, lifting her easily, and it wasn't until he sat her down gently that she realised she wasn't wearing shoes. She laughed and he looked at her.

"Something funny?"

She pointed downward.

"My feet."

He laughed.

"Good thing I carried you, then."

She could hear him turning a key and when he led her carefully forward, she frowned. The light had changed, so she knew she was no longer outside, but he gave her no hints as to where they were.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Blinking to adjust to the change in light, it took her a few seconds to realise that they were standing in her house. It had been beautifully restored, no sign of damage, and as her eyes roamed over it, she felt tears begin to fall.

"Jethro..."

Her voice was a whisper, but loud in the stillness. He took her hand, leading her into the living room, and pointed.

"Told you that you'd like this one."

As her eyes followed his finger, she couldn't stop the smile that broke over her face. He'd hung the picture frame that Abby had given her, and as it gleamed over the fireplace, she turned to him.

"When did you do this?"

"Few days ago. Went on an extended coffee run."

She frowned.

"You did this on company time?"

He smirked, pulling her close to him.

"Yeah, but it was worth it to see you smile."

"It's perfect. Thank you."

She kissed him, gripping his jacket tightly in her fingers, and it was only when she fell heavily against him that he realised how unsteady she was.

"You okay?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and he held her closer. He led her to the couch and positioned her so that her head rested in his lap. Running a hand through her long red hair, he frowned when a few strands clung to his fingers. He knew she'd been stressed, but he hadn't known it was quite this severe.

"Jen?"

"Hm?"

"Hate to tell you this, but your hair's falling out."

She sighed.

"I know. I have vitamins, but I forgot to take them. It's just stress. I'll live."

He nodded, looking down at her seriously.

"You'd better. I meant what I said: you die, and I'll kill you."

She laughed, closing her eyes, and it wasn't long before she had fallen asleep.

As he watched the redhead sleep in his lap, Gibbs pulled out his phone, hoping he wouldn't wake her.

"Autopsy."

"Hey, Duck."

"Jethro! I didn't expect to hear from you today. Word is that you and Jennifer have taken the day off."

"Yeah, we did."

"Rumour also has it that you're eloping."

He laughed quietly.

"Not a chance. Got a few questions for you."

"By all means."

"Lyme disease."

Ducky was silent for a moment and Gibbs waited, his free hand still running through Jenny's hair.

"She told you."

"Kinda had to. Couldn't get up this morning. She can hardly stand. Duck, how bad is this?"

"Some of the symptoms can be very severe at times, but I assure you, Jethro, the chances of Jennifer making a full recovery are very high. She'll have good days and bad, and from what you've describe, today is a bad one. Just make sure she gets rest and doesn't overwork herself. You know how stubborn she is."

"Definitely know that. Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable?"

"Well, nothing you wouldn't do for a sick child. I'm sure you took care of Kelly when she was ill as a child. Anything you did then should suffice now."

He smirked.

"Even pretending to be a unicorn?"

Ducky laughed.

"Perhaps not that. I don't know Jennifer's preference for unicorns."

"I'll ask and let you know."

"Jethro, I know you're worried, but she'll be fine. As long as she takes the medication, she should be back to her stubborn self in two to four weeks."

Gibbs smiled, glancing down at the woman in his arms.

"Thanks, Duck."

"Not at all. Enjoy your day together."

When Jenny opened her eyes, she was momentarily disoriented, and it took her nearly a full minute to remember where she was. She tried to sit up, only to collapse weakly back on her couch, and she frowned. She'd been sure Gibbs had been with her when she'd fallen asleep and as she saw him walk in from the kitchen, she smiled.

"Hey."

"Hey. Sleep well?"

She nodded.

"I did."

He smiled at her and as he watched her, he noticed her skin seemed slightly less pale than it had earlier. She tried again to sit up and winced as her body refused to cooperate.

"Jen?"

"I'm okay," she said softly, "Just help me up."

Gently lifting her up, he pulled her against him and she smiled as his lips trailed over her throat.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"You complaining?"

She shook her head, leaning back against his chest. Tilting her head back, she kissed his jawline softly, and when she pulled away, he smiled at her.

"So, I was thinking..."

"That's dangerous," she deadpanned.

"Hush. I was thinking...since your house is repaired, do you want me to bring your things back here tonight?"

"Kicking me out?"

He shook his head.

"Nope. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you want, but I know how much this house means to you. It's your call."

She was silent for a moment, and he worried that he should have kept his mouth shut.

"I think I'll stay with you, at least until I'm through taking this medication. Might need a bit more assistance."

He nodded.

"Very smart decision."

"That's why I'm your boss."

"Nah, pretty sure that's because you go around breaking people's noses."

"Shut up, Jethro. I saved your ass."

He smiled.

"I appreciate that. I'm quite fond of my ass."

She looked at him, her expression serious.

"Didn't do it for you. Only reason I put up with you is because you look good in jeans."

He laughed, and she tried to keep her expression as composed as possible.

"Of course, I heard that DiNozzo and McGee rank pretty high on the list of attractive butts at the office."

"Not gonna happen. They'd be afraid you might kill them."

She raised her eyebrows in mock seriousness.

"To be fair, I've wanted to kill you several times."

"You'd miss me."

She nodded, running her hand over his leg gently.

"Yeah...I would."

She turned in his arms just enough to kiss his lips and when she felt her lungs begin to burn, she pulled away breathlessly.

"I love you, Jethro."

"Right back at you, Jen."

Gibbs hadn't expected Jenny to put her job on hold while she recovered, but that didn't make him any more thrilled about her returning to work. He'd asked Cynthia to keep an eye on her throughout the day, and though he knew Jenny would kill him if she found out, he considered it worth the risk.

"Hey, boss. Got a question for you."

He rolled his eyes at Tony, but waited nonetheless.

"You think Director Shepard could show us how she broke that guy's—"

His words were cut short by the slap Gibbs delivered to the back of his head and he winced.

"Shutting up now."

Jenny fought the urge to roll her eyes as Cynthia entered her office for the fifth time that afternoon, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide it in her voice.

"What is it, Cynthia?"

"I was just wondering if you needed anything. Coffee, water—"

"If I need something, I'll let you know," Jenny said firmly, pointing to the intercom.

"Of course. I'm sorry, Director. It's just...Agent Gibbs asked me to make sure that you were okay, and I didn't mean to bother you."

Jenny's eyes softened at the younger woman's nervousness and she smiled.

"It's okay, Cynthia. Could you send Agent Gibbs up to my office, please?"

Nodding, Cynthia backed out of the room, hoping that her boss wouldn't kill the team leader. She hadn't meant to cause him any trouble, and she would feel terrible if the Director took it too harshly.

As soon as Gibbs walked into Jenny's office, he could tell something was wrong. The expression on her face was calm, yet there was a storm building behind her eyes that he didn't care for at all.

"You wanted to see me?"

She nodded, still looking at him with that unsettling smile, and he frowned.

"Sit down, Jethro."

He shrugged.

"I'm fine standing."

"Sit down."

Raising his eyebrow slightly, he did as he was told and she leaned back slightly in her chair, her eyes roaming over him curiously.

"Jenny, what—"

"How dare you?" she whispered dangerously.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head.

"Who do you think you are? You asked my assistant to check up on me. Like I can't handle myself, like I don't know my own limitations."

Her voice was soft, but he could hear it shaking with barely-controlled rage. He knew that if he had closed the door, she would have probably been screaming at him, but she still had enough presence of mind to keep up appearances.

"I was just trying to—"

"Stop. You can't try to justify this with concern. I can appreciate that you're worried, but that doesn't give you the right to order people to check up on me like I'm some sort of child."

He stared at her desk, noticing that her hands were shaking and he reached out to touch her. She pulled away, shaking her head once, and he knew in that moment what it felt like to be genuinely afraid of Jenny Shepard.

McGee frowned as he searched for his boss, and turned to the Senior Field Agent.

"Tony, where's Gibbs?"

"Director's office. Why? Trying to find someone to make weekend plans with, McNerd?"

"No, I needed to get his signature on this report. And I have friends outside of work, thank you very much."

"Whatever you say, Elf Lord."

Rolling his eyes, McGee made his way up the stairs, wondering why he allowed his colleague to antagonise him every day. He approached Director Shepard's door, frowning at Cynthia's absence, but as he heard the raised voices, he didn't blame her at all for disappearing.

"Jethro, you can't order my assistant to look after me like I'm a two-year-old! You don't own me, you didn't even marry me, you can't control every aspect of my life!"

"I left that decision up to you! If you wanted to marry me, all you had to do was say so!"

She laughed, but McGee didn't see what was amusing.

"That isn't the issue here! Yes, I'm sick, but I have it under control. You don't need to keep tabs on me every minute of every day."

"That's the point, Jen! You're sick. This isn't the flu or a cold. Lyme disease is serious, and it could kill you!"

"You're overreacting. I'm not dead yet, Jethro, and until that day comes, you are going to have to learn to trust me!"

McGee turned away, unable to handle hearing anymore, and he sighed. He needed to talk to Abby. Now.

Gibbs looked at Jenny, taking a step closer to her and she backed away.

"Jen...I do trust you. I know that I might be a little overprotective, but this is new to me, too. I'm not trying to ruin your life or force you into anything you don't want to do, but the thought of losing you scares me. I told you: I know what it's like to be scared, and if I'm feeling this way, I'm sure you are."

She looked over at him, her eyes searching his and she sighed. She'd known that he hadn't been sleeping as much since her diagnosis, but she hadn't realised just how much of a toll it was taking on him.

"Jethro, of course I'm scared. There's a ten percent chance that I won't recover from this, but I can't focus on that. If I do, I'll miss out on everything else going on around me. I know you're worried, and I understand that. I love you for it even, but you have to let go. Let me handle this. If I need help, I promise that I'll come to you."

He moved closer, reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Will you let me do this?"

He nodded, and she raised up on her toes to kiss him gently.

"Trust me, Jethro."

Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her hair, breathing in the scent of her perfume.

"I do, Jen. With my life."

Abby jumped as McGee entered her lab, hugging Bert harder than she meant to. She set the stuffed hippo on her desk and glared at her friend, oblivious to his distress.

"McGee, you scared the bejeesus out of me!"

"Sorry. Abby, what do you know about Lyme disease?"

She frowned, rattling off statistics and figures, and mid-way through her rant, she paused, her eyes wide.

"McGee...you don't have Lyme disease, do you? Oh, God...I'm so sorry. Don't worry, we can get you started on medication and—"

"Abby. Abby! Abby!"

She stopped, looking at him in confusion.

"I don't have Lyme disease."

"Oh," she said, relieved, "Then why did you ask?"

"It's not me. It's someone else we know."

"Is it Tony? He's already had the Plague, so maybe that weakened his immune system—"

"It isn't Tony. Or Ziva. Not Gibbs, either."

"Ducky?"

He shook his head, waiting for the scientist to connect the dots. He saw the light flicker in her eyes and he knew she understood.

"Director Shepard?" she whispered.

He nodded.

"I heard them arguing in her office."

Abby looked at him for a long moment, and then bolted from his side, heading for the elevator.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"To see Mommy."

The knock on her office door was so quiet that she barely heard it. She frowned, but removed her glasses anyway, wondering who could be visiting her at this late hour.

"Come in."

The door swung slowly open, revealing a nervous looking Abby Sciuto, and Jenny's confusion only increased. It wasn't often that the scientist ventured out of her lab and Jenny offered her a comforting smile.

"Yes, Abby?"

The younger woman closed the door, making her way slowly closer and Jenny stood up, more than a little concerned.

"What's wrong, Abs?"

She hoped that by using Gibbs' pet name for her, she could get an answer. Abby looked at her, and Jenny was shocked to find tears in her eyes.

"Abby?"

Abby threw her arms around the redhead, hugging her so tightly that it was almost painful, and Jenny frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked again.

"McGee told me you were sick. It's not true, is it?"

Jenny gently stepped out of Abby's tight embrace and smiled, looking at her sadly.

"It's true, Abby. But it's nothing to worry about. I'm taking medication, and Ducky says that in a few weeks, I should be fine."

She frowned, thinking.

"McGee told you?"

Abby nodded.

"He heard you and Gibbs arguing. Which, by the way, the kids don't like."

Jenny smiled, hugging her again.

"It's okay, Abby. Believe me, Gibbs is more than taking care of me."

"Smothering you?"

She laughed.

"Only a lot."

"He's right to be worried, though. He loves you, and he just wants to make sure you're safe."

Jenny smirked.

"He usually is right. That's what makes him so damn irritating."

As Jenny grabbed her jacket, preparing to leave for the night, she smiled when she saw Abby still standing in the doorway to her office.

"Something else, Abby?"

The Goth nodded, giving her a small smile.

"We all love you, too. Just thought you should know."

She turned on her heel, disappearing so fast that Jenny almost wasn't sure she'd even been there at all. As she met Gibbs in the elevator, she made a mental note to lock her door whenever they had an argument at work. The last thing she needed was her employees hearing more about her personal life than what was strictly necessary.

A/N: Hope you liked it. Tomorrow, I'll be hanging with a friend, so I probably won't update. We'll see.