A/N: I know I said I probably wouldn't update today, but I finished this chapter early this morning, so here it is. Hope you enjoy!

Over the next few days, Jenny's health began to decline, and as Gibbs watched her sleep, he was becoming more concerned by the minute. He'd tried to wake her over an hour ago, but she hadn't responded to him. His trained eyes watched her chest, searching for the rise and fall as she breathed, and as he found it, he sighed. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, not even bothering to check the ID.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Jethro, you didn't show up to the office today. Is everything alright?"

"Ducky. I was just about to call you. I can't wake Jen. I'm starting to get really worried."

"How long has it been?"

"Since about 23:00 last night. Is there any way you can get over here?"

"I'm on my way, Jethro."

He hung up, sitting down on the edge of the bed, and he took Jenny's hand in his.

"Come on, Shepard. You can do this."

She was still unresponsive, and he leaned over her, kissing her forehead softly. He only hoped Ducky would be able to help. He wasn't sure what he would do if they failed.

When Ducky walked into the bedroom, Gibbs was still sitting next to Jenny, her hand held tightly in his. He touched his shoulder to alert him of his presence, and the younger man turned.

"No change?"

He shook his head, and Ducky moved closer to the bed, taking Jenny's wrist in his hand. Her pulse was weak, but steady and he frowned.

"Jethro, could you bring me a wet cloth, please? Cold water."

He nodded, leaving the doctor alone for a moment. When he returned, Ducky was just finishing his examination and he handed the cloth to the Scotsman.

"Thank you, Jethro."

He placed the cloth on Jenny's skin, and after a few moments, the coolness of the water caused her to stir, and when her eyes slowly opened, Gibbs felt a weight lift from his chest. Jenny's eyes found Ducky, and she frowned.

"Ducky?"

Her voice was weak, and he gave her a gentle smile.

"Hello, Jennifer. We've been wondering when you were going to wake up. Jethro was getting rather worried."

She glanced around the room, and when her eyes landed on his, he smiled.

"How're you feeling, Jen?"

Shaking her head slowly, she frowned.

"I feel okay, I'm just so tired."

Ducky nodded.

"Your body is physically exhausted. You're likely going to sleep more over the next few days, but that's to be expected. Have you been taking the antibiotics?"

She nodded, and looked at him seriously.

"Ducky...this doesn't mean that I'm getting worse, does it?"

"No, my dear. You've simply worked too hard for too long, and your body is forcing you to rest now."

Nodding again, Jenny gave him a smile. He listened to her breathe for a few more minutes and when he inclined his head toward the door, Gibbs followed.

"I think she's going to be fine, Jethro. Just keep an eye on her."

"Thanks, Duck. I appreciate it."

As the doctor left, Gibbs returned to the bedroom, pulling Jenny into his arms as soon as he was near enough.

"You scared the hell out of me, Jen."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I know," he whispered against her hair, "I know you didn't."

He held her as tightly as he could, placing a light kiss to her temple.

"It's going to be okay," Jenny said softly.

He laughed.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one saying that to you?"

She looked at him seriously, her eyes still slightly glassy.

"No. That's not how we work. We support each other. Through everything. Understood?"

He nodded, kissing her again.

"Yes, ma'am."

Though she was still not feeling quite up to par, Jenny knew she had to get back to work or her superiors would have her ass. Still, if she'd known that she'd be dealing with her current situation, she might have reconsidered. Gibbs, DiNozzo and Ziva had ended up in a hostage situation involving a marine with high explosives, and as she waited for McGee to set up communication, she was pacing her office nervously.

"Excuse me, Director, Agent McGee needs to see you in the squad room"

"Thank you, Cynthia."

She all but ran down the stairs, trying to stay calm, and as McGee noticed her in the room, he waved her over.

"I got through to Gibbs, Director."

"Put me through. Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

She waited and at his signal, she nodded.

"Gibbs. What's your status?"

"Bit busy at the moment, Director. Trying to talk him down."

"Does he have a dead man's switch?"

"No idea. Didn't get a good look before he barricaded himself in the back room."

"Your team?"

"All fine. We'll be in touch."

"Gibbs, you—"

He disconnected the communication, and Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Get him back, McGee."

McGee frowned.

"I can't, ma'am. He's switched it off. Nothing I can do."

She nodded, looking at him seriously.

"What's their location?"

"House about two miles from the Anacostia. Marine barricaded himself inside with his daughter. Wife won't let him see her, so he grabbed her and ran."

Shit. No wonder Gibbs had gotten involved. Cases involving children always affected him strongly.

"There's a child in there?! What's he going to do, blow her up with him?"

"No idea, ma'am."

Jenny frowned, running her hand through her hair. She knew what her agent side was telling her to do, and after a few moments of debating, she nodded to herself.

"Is there any way we can get visual contact, McGee?"

He shook his head.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"I need their exact location. Now."

He nodded.

"I can send it to your phone."

"Do that. I'll be in touch."

Before he could respond, Jenny had swept her hair up into a ponytail and was heading for the elevator, her badge and sidearm clipped to her belt.

"McGee, do you have any word on Gibbs yet?"

The probationary agent shook his head.

"Not yet, Ducky."

"What does the Director advise?"

"No idea. She's not here. She went out after them."

"She did what?"

McGee held up his hands in surrender.

"She asked for their exact location, and she left."

Ducky frowned.

"She's going to get herself killed. Stubborn woman."

McGee sighed, hoping someone would be contacting him soon. He felt beyond useless sitting behind his computer, but he knew that if he left, he would be potentially endangering everyone. To him, it was the ultimate no-win situation.

Jenny flashed her Naval ID and badge as she approached the officers standing outside, and as they allowed her through, she smirked. Sometimes being the Director came with major perks. She silently entered the front of the house, and when Gibbs noticed her presence, he glared at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Someone had to save your ass."

Turning to the locked door in front of them, she called out to the marine inside, hoping to distract him enough so they could get in.

"Staff Sergeant Mills, this is Director Jenny Shepard, NCIS. Why don't you unlock the door and talk to us? No one has to get hurt here. I know you don't want to hurt your daughter."

"I'm not opening the door. You're not taking Katie away from me."

"No one wants to do that, Staff Sergeant. We just want to get everyone out of here safely."

"I'm not giving her up."

"Staff Sergeant, just talk to us. We can work this out."

Jenny thought she could hear the faint sounds of a child crying, but she couldn't be sure. Waving to Gibbs, she pointed at the door. He met her eyes, searching them for an answer, and finally he nodded. Ziva stood behind her, her weapon aimed and steady, and as Gibbs brought his foot to the door, the sound of wood splintering filled the room. Together, they rushed the room, Gibbs tackling the Staff Sergeant and Jenny immediately reaching for the little girl as she huddled in the corner. She pulled her out, passing her to Tony, and he lifted her into his arms, running for the exit.

As Ziva checked to make sure the little girl was cleared from the area, Gibbs was trying to get a grip on the explosive strapped to the Staff Sergeant's body. Jenny pulled her weapon, aiming it carefully and as the timer was hit on the device, the Staff Sergeant ripped it from his body, tossing it across the room. Gibbs released his hold on the man and he bolted from the room. Ziva pursued him, and as Gibbs met her eyes, Jenny looked at the explosive carefully.

"We've got about thirty seconds."

He nodded, standing and reaching for her hand. He pulled her through the door and as they neared the front hallway, he looked at her seriously.

"If we die in here, Shepard, I'm kicking your ass."

"If we die in here, it's all your damn fault! You're the one slowing us down!"

She laughed breathlessly as she ran, and as her foot crossed the front door, she felt the blow back of the explosion. Her body was thrown onto the grass and as her breath was knocked out of her, she closed her eyes in pain. She felt Gibbs pull her to her feet and as they moved to a safer distance, he looked down at her.

"You okay?"

She nodded, and when she was finally able to speak, she looked at him seriously.

"You?"

Nodding, he glanced around the yard, searching for Tony. He was standing near the paramedics, talking to Katie Mills quietly, and Jenny made her way slowly over to them. She leaned down, smiling at the little girl, not wanting to scare her more than she already was.

"Hi, Katie. I'm Jenny. You don't have to be scared now. You're safe."

"Where's my Mommy?"

Jenny glanced at Gibbs and he knelt down.

"She's on her way to pick you up. You were a very brave little girl in there today."

Katie smiled and Gibbs winked at her as he turned away, facing Jenny once again.

"Hell of a day, huh, Shepard?"

Jenny sighed as she stepped into the shower and felt the warmth of the water rush over her. The bruises mottling her skin made her frown and though it was painful, she was proud to have them. She'd proven her worth in the field even after becoming Director, and she could have sworn that she saw a look of pride in Gibbs' eyes as they'd driven to his house that evening. All the pain in the world was worth it just to see that look in his eyes.

Finally, she turned off the water in her shower and as she wrapped a soft towel around her body, she sighed. It was a bit strange, being back in her own house after staying with Gibbs for so long, but she had to admit that she had missed it. Just as she finished dressing, her phone rang and she sighed, searching for the offending device.

"Shepard."

"Jenny, this is Daniel Way. How are you?"

"Daniel! I'm doing very well, how are you?"

"I'm great. Listen, I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Jenny felt her heart drop at his words and she unconsciously gripped the phone tighter.

"What is it?"

"Harrison's being released early."

"What? How?"

"Good behaviour. Load of shit, if you ask me."

"When?"

"He's being released next month."

She felt as though she had been punched and she sank down on her bed, her legs no longer able to support her weight.

"T-thank you, Daniel."

"I'm not exactly sure if I was supposed to tell you, but you deserved to know."

Thanking him again, Jenny hung up, grabbing her shoes quickly. She ran down the stairs, not bothering to call her driver, and as she threw herself into her car, she couldn't stop crying.

Gibbs frowned at the sound of fast footsteps running down his basement steps and when he looked around to see his favourite redhead nearly fall down them in her haste, he was immediately concerned.

"Jen?"

She crossed the room in two steps, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest. Her breathing was fast, and he looked down at her seriously.

"What's wrong?"

She answered him, but her voice was so quiet that he missed it.

"What?"

"Harrison's getting out, Jethro," she repeated, her voice breaking.

"When?"

"Next month. Daniel Way just called me."

Her fingers gripped his jacket tightly and he wrapped his arms around her, hoping he was providing some sense of security.

"Why?"

"Good behaviour. You know how the court system is fucked."

He nodded, kissing her hair.

"Don't worry."

"What if he finds me? Or finds you? You killed his brother, he won't take that lightly."

He shook his head.

"He won't. He's not going to hurt you. I made you a promise, and I'm not about to break it."

Her head shook.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Jethro."

"I'll keep it, Jen. Even if it's the last thing I ever do."

He pulled back, holding her just far enough away that he could look at her properly.

"You ever doubted me?"

"Professionally? Never."

"Don't doubt me now."

He pulled her close again, and she nodded against his chest. He pretended that he didn't notice her tears dampening his shirt and as they stood in the middle of the room, he wished more than anything that he could take her fear away.

Jenny smiled thoughtfully as she twirled the chain holding her ring around her throat across her hand. She pulled the silver band from the chain, and slid it on her finger, remembering the last time she had worn it. It was slightly loose, a testament to the recent weight she'd lost, and as it glittered on her finger, she smirked. Perhaps it was time to mess with Gibbs just a bit.

She stood from behind her desk, making her way onto the catwalk, and she smiled as she saw him sitting behind his desk, glaring daggers at his computer.

"McGee, can you fix this damn thing?"

"Sure, boss. What's the problem?"

"It's frozen."

"Just like Ziva's heart," Tony quipped.

The yelp that came from Tony's desk as Ziva launched a pencil at him made Jenny smile. She walked down the stairs, stopping in front of Gibbs' desk, and looked at him seriously.

"Breaking agency property, Special Agent Gibbs?"

"No. It's not my fault it doesn't work."

"McGee doesn't seem to have a problem."

Tony glanced over at them, shrugging.

"To be fair, Probie Wan Kenobi is one with the ways of the Geek Force."

"Very funny, Tony," McGee snapped, "All good, boss."

Jenny smirked at Gibbs, wondering how long it was going to take him to notice the ring on her finger, and he met her eyes curiously.

"You need something, Director?"

She shook her head.

"Coffee run."

As she turned away, the light caught her hand, and he saw a glimmer of silver that he hadn't noticed before. He followed her as she walked to the coffee stand, and he caught her by the arm as he closed the distance between them.

"Jen, wait."

She frowned.

"Problem?"

He looked at her hand pointedly.

"You're wearing the ring."

She glanced down, her eyes widening in false surprise.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

She turned away and he grabbed her arm again.

"Why are you wearing the ring?"

Raising her eyebrow at him suggestively, she began walking and he sighed, running to keep up with her.

"Answer me."

"You really want to know?"

He glared at her and she smiled.

"I just wanted to see how long it would take for you to see it. And you call yourself an investigator."

She took it off, slipping it back onto the delicate chain, and he fought the urge to slap the back of her head.

"The next time you put that ring on, you'd damn well better mean it."

"Bold of you to assume that there will be a next time."

"Hey, I'm irresistible."

She laughed outright, and he gave her a smile. As she picked up her coffee, he stole a glance at her as she walked away and he knew, by the look she threw over her shoulder, that she'd been aware of his staring.

"See something you like, Jethro?"

He tilted his head, smirking.

"I haven't decided yet."

Yeah. He liked it a hell of a lot.

"Well, when you decide, be sure to let me know," she murmured softly.

The sway of her hips as she walked away was enough to drive him crazy.

The door of her office opened unannounced and Jenny frowned. She knew who it was, of course, but still she was annoyed.

"One of these days, I'm going to lock that door just to throw you off."

He smirked.

"Good idea."

As the lock clicked in place, Jenny raised her eyebrows in question.

"Something I can do for you, Jethro?"

"Yeah. I've decided."

He walked around to the other side of her desk, pulling her up from the chair and holding her against him.

"And what did you decide?"

"You tell me."

He crashed his lips onto hers and her hands went to his waist, pulling his body impossibly closer. He lifted her into his arms, placing her on the desk behind her, and she kissed him deeply. Her tongue found his and he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, causing a low moan to escape her. She threaded her fingers through his hair as he kissed her throat and before she could get too swept up in him, she pulled away.

"Jethro, we can't do this here."

"Of all the places we've done this and your locked office is where you draw the line?" he laughed.

Considering him for a moment, she nodded, pulling him back to her.

"You're very persuasive."

"I have many talents."

She kissed him again, pushing his jacket from his shoulders.

"Care to demonstrate?"

He grabbed her hips, unhooking the button on her slacks, and as his hand slid under the thin piece of lace she called underwear, she bit down on her lip. He slowly moved his finger inside of her and her head fell back. His other hand steadied her on the desk and when he added another finger, she moaned.

"Jesus, Jethro."

He pulled her closer, his hand moving faster and as he curled his fingers, Jenny kissed him again. Her tongue explored his mouth, causing him to lose his rhythm for a moment, but she didn't seem to mind. Her body was shaking now, and as he felt her walls tighten around his fingers, he brought his lips to her ear, his breath warm on her skin.

"Come on, Jen. Don't fight it. Let go."

She threw her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream as she felt her orgasm rock through her, and when she fell forward onto his chest, he held her close as her body shook.

"Best decision I ever made," he whispered.

She nodded, still shaking slightly.

"I agree."

He lifted her from the desk, and when she stumbled, he caught her in his arms.

"You okay?"

She nodded.

"Just a little shaky. What did you do to me, Jethro?"

He smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"That was just the preview. Full show is still in the works."

"Can't wait."

He walked to the door, unlocking it slowly, and as he looked at her, he smiled.

"Hey, Jen?"

"Hm?"

"Love you."

She smiled.

"Love you, too."

Though she hated to admit it, Jenny was scared. Ducky had told her that there was a ten percent chance that her illness wouldn't be cured with the antibiotics she'd been taking, and with her recent bout of luck, she didn't like the odds. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she never recovered, yet that was all she seemed to be thinking of, even in the most inopportune moments. Even as Gibbs had held her in his arms the night before, she'd found herself wondering if it could possibly be one of the last times he ever touched her.

She shook her head as she sat down on her couch, trying to somehow distract herself from the thoughts, and finally she reached for the decanter of bourbon she'd brought from her study. Though it was smooth, the taste still made her shudder as it burned down her throat and she sighed. The glass was empty in seconds, yet it still wasn't enough. She poured another, taking longer than necessary due to her shaking hands, and when she finally finished it, she closed her eyes slowly.

She hadn't had a drink in awhile, but she was still surprised by how quickly she began to feel the delicious tingling in the tips of her fingers. She reached for her phone, and though she hesitated, she still placed it to her ear, waiting somewhat impatiently.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Hey."

"Hi. Are you okay?"

She frowned.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's almost midnight, Jen. You should probably be asleep."

She laughed, running her hand through her hair.

"I'm fine, Jethro. Just wanted to hear your voice."

"Uh-huh," he answered slowly, "Sure. But something's bothering you. Isn't it?"

Jenny was silent, biting down on her lip as she tried to think of how to answer.

"Jen?"

"Jethro, what if—what if I'm one of the ten percent?"

And there it was. She'd finally said it out loud and there was no taking it back now.

"Not gonna happen."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. You're too stubborn to die from something that insignificant."

She laughed, pouring another drink, and he waited, knowing she wasn't through yet.

"Harrison could find me, Jethro. If he knows his brother is dead, he's going to want revenge."

"You didn't kill his brother."

She shook her head, tossing back her drink.

"No, but he won't see it that way."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. We'll disappear from existence if that's what it takes to keep you safe."

Jenny sighed, and Gibbs spoke again, his voice gentle.

"Jen...put down the bourbon and get some sleep. Everything is going to be fine."

"How did you—"

"You ramble when you drink."

"Fair enough. Good night, Jethro."

"Night."

"Hey, Jen?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

She smiled, standing up and making her way to her stairs.

"I love you, too."

As her eyes took in the doctor sitting across from her, Jenny twisted the necklace she wore in her hands. She hated feeling this nervous, and when Ducky smiled at her, she didn't have the strength to return it.

"Relax, my dear."

"Sorry, Ducky."

He waved away her apology, and looked at her with an expression that she couldn't quite identify. She sighed, taking a drink of her coffee and tried to pretend that she wasn't about to scream.

"Ducky, will you just get to it? I can't handle waiting any longer."

He smiled.

"You're going to be fine, Jennifer. Your blood work came back normal, and other than possibly experiencing some residual side effects, everything is as it should be."

"Really?"

He nodded and she stood up, walking around the desk to hug him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He kissed her cheek lightly, and gave her a reassuring smile. She felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and as the doctor excused himself, she smiled. For the first time in weeks, she felt as though her life were finally leveling out.

As he worked on his boat, Gibbs frowned, thinking of Harrison's upcoming release from prison. Though he'd told Jenny not to worry, he didn't blame her at all for being scared. If Harrison's brother had found out where she lived, there was nothing to stop the living brother from locating her as well. While he knew his own house was perfectly safe, he still couldn't help the annoying voice in the back of his mind telling him that he needed to get Jenny away for at least a few days after Harrison's immediate release.

Trying to come up with a solution, he racked his brain for what he knew of Jenny's family. Her parents were out of the question, seeing as he had no idea if her mother was even alive and the Colonel was lying six feet under, he knew she didn't have any siblings, and he didn't think she spoke to anyone else from her past. His own family wasn't much better. The only relative he even remotely spoke to was his father and he hadn't heard from him in years.

He sighed, thinking. Would his father even pick up the phone if he called? He hadn't been back to Stillwater since Kelly had been about three, and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to consider it now. He picked up his phone, preparing to grit his teeth get it over with, when it occurred to him that he didn't even know if his father still had the same number. He laughed, shaking his head at his own pathetic excuse. Jackson Gibbs never changed. He was a creature of habit. Gibbs supposed that was where he inherited the trait.

Listening to it ring, he frowned. Maybe he had changed his number. Or perhaps something worse. Just as his imagination was about to go to the darkest corner of his mind, he heard a click, followed by a breathless greeting.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad."

"Leroy! Haven't heard from you in ages. How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

"Oh, you know. Running the store, same as always. Drinking coffee, reading the paper. Nothing changes much around here."

Gibbs laughed.

"Don't I know it."

"So, what gives? You getting divorced again?"

"Nope. Those days are over. Listen, I was wondering, can I come down next month for a few days? Got something I need to work through."

"Sure. Sure. Come down whenever you want. Good time to clear your head, with spring coming and all."

He nodded.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll be in touch."

"Take care of yourself, Leroy."

"Yeah. You, too."

He hung up, running his hand through his hair. Now the only problem was figuring out how to tell Jenny.

He'd been staring at her all night as though he wanted to ask her something, and it was beginning to grate on Jenny's nerves. She sighed as she noticed him watching her from his boat and she set down her drink loudly.

"Is there something you want to say, Jethro?"

He frowned.

"What?"

"You've been looking at me all night like you're trying to figure out how to tell me something. Or ask me something. What is it?"

He stood, brushing off the sawdust from his jeans and walked closer to her. He met her eyes seriously and she frowned.

"I've been thinking. With Harrison getting out in a few weeks, we need to be careful."

"Yes?"

"How would you feel about getting away for a few days that weekend? I know a place. Real quiet, secluded, no one would bother us."

"Is this place your basement?"

He smirked.

"Nope. It's a real place. Interested?"

She was quiet for a moment and then raised her eyebrow suggestively.

"This isn't the part where you take me to the woods to murder me, is it?"

"Nah. If I was gonna murder you, I would've called Ziva."

"No traces. Smart."

"Yep."

After a few minutes of silence, Jenny looked up at him and nodded.

"Sure. I'd love to."

He leaned down, kissing her slowly and when she pulled him closer, his hands went to her waist, holding her tightly. He brushed her hair to the side, kissing her throat, and as he lifted her into his arms, he realised that he felt truly happy, and he had a certain intoxicating redhead to thank for it. He carried her to the stairs, making it his mission to thank her in every way possible.

A/N: Now I have to actually watch episodes that feature Jackson. I stopped watching the show after Jenny's death, so I am woefully behind and know next to nothing about Gibbs' father. And no, I'm not going to attempt to catch up on over ten years of programming in one weekend. I'm just going to research Jackson's episodes and go from there. Here goes nothing!