A/N: I've reached over 100 reviews, and you have absolutely no idea how much that means to me! I love each and every one of you so much! Hope you enjoy! Next chapter should be up on Saturday!
Broken glass and blood covered every surface, and as Jenny walked through the wreckage, she was distinctly aware of the beating of her own heart. When she reached the kitchen, her attention was drawn to the body lying on the floor drenched in thick, dark blood, and she tried to scream. There was only silence, and she knelt down next to the still figure, reaching out slowly. Something about the body was familiar to her, and as she turned it over, she tried again to scream.
She was staring down at her own body, throat slashed deeply, and a rough hand grabbed her by the shoulder, spinning her around. Her eyes landed on the twisted bloody smile of Shawn Harrison, and she struggled to pull free from his vice-like grip. Blood poured from her throat, and his smile grew. His cold laughter echoed in her ears and it was the last thing she heard before the world faded around her.
Jenny's breathing was ragged as her eyes opened, and she tried desperately to remember where she was. Her hand automatically went to her throat and she was relieved to find that the bandage was still in place, though she couldn't stop shaking regardless. She glanced around the dark room, noticing that Gibbs was still sleeping next to her, and she was happy that at least she hadn't woken him. She laid back down, trying to stop the trembling in her hands and when she felt Gibbs pull her closer, she smiled sadly. She turned in his arms, curling closer against him, and as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, she slowly began to calm down.
Her eyes closed, and as she fell asleep again, she found herself praying that she would make it through the night without dreaming again. She needed sleep in the worst way, and she knew that her day would only get worse the longer she went without it. Work was difficult enough now without adding sleep deprivation into the mix. It seemed that the universe was against her, however, and she woke several more times throughout the night, each time shaking more violently than the last. Work was going to be hell.
Though Jenny didn't know it, Gibbs had woken each time her nightmares had torn her from her sleep, and while he had wanted to tell her, he knew she would feel guilty at the thought of waking him. He settled for cradling her against him as he feigned sleep, and he knew that if she had been more focused, she would have never been fooled by his less-than-stellar acting ability. Tears slipped from her eyes as she slept, and he could only imagine what horrors her mind was subjecting her to. He placed a light kiss to her hair as she tucked her head under his chin and he sighed sadly.
"I wish I could make it all stop, Jen," he whispered.
She moved closer to his warmth and he tightened his hold on her as he tried to think of anything he could do to help her. He still had no answer when they woke the next morning for work, but he was determined to try. He only hoped that she would feel comfortable enough to tell him what was bothering her.
Jenny rolled her eyes as she read the reply to one of her emails and placed her head in her hand. Her line of work meant that she was often forced to deal with chauvinistic people who felt that she hadn't earned her title, but Senator Robert Wilkinson was quite possibly the worst of them all. She angrily tossed her glasses onto her desk and when her door opened seconds later, she glared.
Gibbs smirked at her as he walked up, but stopped when he noticed the pure fury in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head, pointing to her computer screen.
"Want me to get McGee to look at it?"
-It's not broken. It's not the computer itself.
"What is it?"
-Read it for yourself.
He walked around to the other side of her desk, leaning over her shoulder, and as he tried to read it, he sighed. Jenny smirked as she handed him her glasses and he sent her an annoyed look. His frown increased as he read and he realised again why he hated politicians.
"This meeting cannot be postponed and I will be expecting a response within the hour. Will call with details."
Jenny rolled her eyes so hard that it hurt and he looked at her seriously.
"He knows you can't speak, right?"
She glared at him and he laughed.
"I know, I'm a bastard. Still...what an ass."
He leaned closer, kissing her cheek and gave her an encouraging smile.
"Just have Cynthia tell him to meet in person. If he has a problem with that, too damn bad."
She returned his smile and he kissed her again.
"Before I forget, the reason I came up here: lunch later? Anything you want, I'll make it happen."
She nodded and he walked to the door. Just before he reached it, she remembered that he still had her glasses, and she tossed a ball of paper at his head. He turned, confused, and she met his eyes pointedly.
"What?"
-My glasses. I need them back.
He took them off, and tossed them carefully across the room. She caught them easily and he gave her a smile as he opened the door.
"Don't kill the Senator."
-I won't.
"Or if you do, call me. I know a guy."
She smiled and waved him away, returning to her email. Sighing, she tried to compose a response that didn't sound bitchy, and when her intercom beeped, she frowned.
"Excuse me, Director, Senator Wilkinson is on line one. Should I have him disconnected?"
Jenny stood, grabbing a notepad and pen, making her way to the door. Cynthia gave her an apologetic look and frowned.
"I tried to tell him that you weren't accepting calls, ma'am."
Jenny shook her head and rolled her eyes. She began writing quickly and Cynthia laughed quietly as she read what her boss had written.
I know. I was in the middle of answering his email. He's an idiot. Tell him that all meetings will have to be in person if they cannot be rescheduled. No exceptions.
"Yes, ma'am."
The younger woman relayed her message and when she hung up the phone, Jenny gave her a sympathetic look.
If it helps, I would have loved to have you disconnect him, but he would have just kept calling.
"Yes, ma'am. He said he'll be here at 14:30 for your meeting."
Jenny nodded her thanks, rolling her eyes again and Cynthia laughed. She knew that her boss hated any kind of meetings with Senator Wilkinson, and it was no secret that he thought she had slept her way to her position. Cynthia had no idea how the redhead kept herself from smacking him whenever he spoke, but she supposed that was why Jenny was the Director.
Jenny passed Gibbs' desk and tapped a perfectly manicured nail on the surface to get his attention. He raised his eyebrow and smiled at her, wondering at her annoyed expression.
"Yes, Director?"
-I need your interpretation skills at 14:30.
"Meeting with Wilkinson?"
She nodded, and fought the urge to roll her eyes again. She'd already done it so many times that day that she worried they might fall from her head.
"I'll be there."
-Thank you.
"Yes, ma'am."
She walked back up the stairs, not oblivious to the eyes of her employees following her, and he nodded at her before she disappeared into her office. He knew a little about the Senator from Jenny's ranting about him previously, and he only hoped he would be able to refrain from hitting him.
"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird? The two of them together? She's his boss."
"Yeah, but she's younger than he is."
"So? It's still weird."
"Come on, Peterson. They're still people. They're allowed to have lives outside of work. Don't you have a wife?"
"Yeah, but...it's just difficult to look at them and imagine them...you know."
Tony walked up behind the two other agents, a smirk on his face.
"You guys seriously imagine Gibbs and the Director in bed? And people say that I cross lines."
Peterson and Adkins turned, looking shocked at being overheard, but quickly backtracked.
"No," Peterson said carefully, "I meant it's hard to picture them doing normal things...cooking dinner, doing laundry, you know...being a regular couple."
Tony nodded. They did have a point, but he'd personally seen the couple outside the office, and it was such a marked difference that once seen, it was hard to remember that Jenny and Director Shepard were the same person.
"She's completely different when she isn't here."
Adkins frowned.
"Really? How so?"
Tony smiled.
"She's more...relaxed. She knows how to have fun. Gibbs is different, too. He smiles more. They're not any different than any other couple, except they maybe fight a bit more."
Peterson nodded.
"It's kind of like when you were in school. You never really stop to consider that your teachers had lives of their own."
Tony laughed.
"Yeah, little DiNozzo would have had a hard time picturing his teachers going out to a party on the weekend, but you know they did."
Adkins frowned suddenly.
"It must have been hard when she was attacked."
Tony snorted.
"Which time?"
"Any of them, but the last one in particular. I heard she almost died."
Tony nodded, his eyes serious.
"Yeah. It wasn't pretty."
"How bad was it? You were there."
Tony looked at them. The case was public knowledge, but he still didn't like to talk about it. Still, they would make up their own version of events if he didn't give a first-hand account, and he didn't want his friends to deal with that aftermath.
"One of the worst crime scenes I've ever seen. When we got there, I honestly thought we were too late. Thought McGee was gonna puke everywhere, but our little Probilicious held it together. I have no idea how she survived."
"Did you catch the guy?"
Tony frowned. He knew there was no way Gibbs would have let Harrison get away with nearly murdering Jenny, but nothing had been officially filed. He shook his head.
"As far as I know, he's still out there."
"Wow. Is it true that they're getting married?"
"Yeah. Not sure when, though. Probably not until she's completely healed."
"That's awesome."
As the conversation took a lighter tone, Tony turned to make his way back to his desk, and he could feel someone watching him as he moved. He glanced around, and when he saw the steel blue eyes of his team leader, he was suddenly worried. How much had he overheard? Gibbs beckoned him over, and Tony quickened his pace, not wanting to keep him waiting.
"Have a nice chat, DiNozzo?"
"Uh, boss, I don't know what you heard, but..."
"I heard a lot of talking and not a lot of work. Get back to your desk."
"On it, boss."
Gibbs smirked as he checked his watch. It was nearing lunch time and he still had no idea what Jenny wanted. He pulled out his phone, texting her quickly and when her reply came through seconds later, he frowned.
Not hungry. Don't worry about it.
He knew she was worried about her upcoming meeting, but that wasn't a valid excuse for her to skip eating. He sat down at his desk, typing as quickly as he could, and he sighed when her response was essentially the same as before.
Jen, you have to eat something.
Will you just drop it?
Nope.
Jethro, I'm serious. Let it go.
He frowned again, and stood, making his way to the elevator. There was no chance in hell that he was going to drop the subject and as he walked to his truck, he was determined to find something that he knew she couldn't refuse.
As he walked through Jenny's office door, she glanced at her watch before setting her glasses on the desk.
-You're early.
He held up the bags of food he carried and she frowned.
-I told you that I wasn't hungry.
"And I told you that I wasn't dropping it. Come on, Jen. You have to eat something."
She glared at him, and he set the bags down on her couch. Sighing, she picked up her glasses again, and resumed reading the report she'd been trying to get through. He pulled out the Styrofoam containers and popped one open, examining the steak as he watched her from the corner of his eye. She still wouldn't look at him, and he sighed, setting his fork down.
"Jenny."
She finally looked up and he met her eyes seriously.
"Please?"
He had her where he wanted her, and he knew it. She could never turn him down when he said "please", and when she took off her glasses, he smiled. She stepped out from behind the desk and gave him a tired smile as she took her place next to him on the leather couch. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her temple lightly.
She took the offered utensils and as she swallowed the first bite of her food, he noticed the slight wince as she moved. He frowned, looking at her, concerned, and he stopped her from raising the fork again.
"Does it hurt?"
She shrugged and he kept his hand on her wrist.
"Jenny, answer me."
-Sometimes.
He reached out to touch the cloth bandage gently, his fingers a mere whisper of contact, and he searched her eyes for answers.
"Why didn't you say something?"
Her eyes met his and he didn't need sign language for her meaning to come through. Are you stupid was clearly written in the emerald depths and he laughed, shaking his head.
"You know what I meant."
She smiled at him and took another careful bite. It hadn't even occurred to him that eating would be painful for her, and he suddenly wanted to kick himself. As it was, he brought his hand to the back of his own head, and the resounding slap made Jenny look at him with wide eyes.
"That was a stupid mistake. I didn't even think, Jen."
Her fingers touched his cheek lightly and her smile told him that she understood. The intercom beeped softly and Cynthia's voice filled the quiet.
"Director, Senator Wilkinson is here."
Setting their food aside, Jenny stood, smoothing out her clothes as she walked, and when she opened the door, she gave her best politicians smile. She met Cynthia's eyes over the Senator's shoulder and fought to keep from smiling at the younger woman's obvious annoyance. It was clear that she didn't care for the man either, and Jenny couldn't wait to hear Gibbs' thoughts on him later.
She held out her hand as she walked back into her office and when she closed the door, Cynthia sent up a silent prayer that Gibbs wouldn't kill the man before the end of the day.
Senator Wilkinson eyed the former marine suspiciously as he sat in the chair across from Jenny's desk and waited. He'd heard of the attack on the woman sitting behind the desk, everyone on the Hill knew about it, but he couldn't fathom why she had another person sitting in on their meeting.
"Director Shepard. I trust you're recovering well. I was devastated to hear about what happened."
Jenny smiled, but Gibbs could see the disgust in her eyes. She nodded and waited for him to speak again.
"Well, as you know, my office is hosting a charity auction and ball in three weeks, and we would be delighted if you would grace us with your presence."
Directing her gaze to Gibbs, he nodded and looked at the Senator seriously.
"That will depend entirely on whether or not Director Shepard is given clearance by a medical professional."
"And you are?"
"Agent Gibbs. Since, as you can see, Director Shepard is unable to speak at this time, I'm serving as an interpreter."
Senator Wilkinson frowned.
"She didn't give you anything to interpret."
"Didn't need to. That much is common knowledge."
He glanced at Jenny and she nodded. Signing rapidly, she had to admit that she enjoyed the look of confusion on the Senator's face as he tried to follow what she was saying.
"She wants you to know that as long as she's given clearance, she'll be in attendance."
What he didn't add was that he was sure they could convince Ducky to lie on their behalf if she really didn't want to attend. The Senator frowned, but nodded.
"Very well. I must say, this is not the way I would conduct things if I were in your place, Director. If you are unable to perform your duties, it might be in everyone's best interest if you stepped down until you're fully recovered."
Beyond furious, Jenny opened her mouth, fully prepared to tell him exactly what she thought of him, and when she saw Gibbs shake his head almost imperceptibly, she frowned.
Right. She still couldn't speak.
Fuck.
She nodded once, and signed a few words to Gibbs and he kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Director Shepard would like me to tell you that your opinion has been duly noted and that the meeting will have to be continued at a later date."
Not entirely believing him, but nodding nonetheless, Senator Jenkins stood and held out his hand to Jenny. She begrudgingly took it and when he had finally left her office, Jenny looked at Gibbs, still furious, but also slightly amused.
-Why do I feel like I suffered majorly in that translation?
He smirked.
"I couldn't exactly tell him that you said he was an arrogant ass who should go fuck himself, Jen."
She shrugged, beckoning him closer to her, and when he leaned over the desk, she pulled him to her by his jacket, kissing him gently. Her fingers threaded into his hair and he smiled as he ran his hand over her cheek lightly. He pulled away, kissing her once on the cheek before making his way to the door again. He knew she would want to hear his thoughts on the Senator later, and while he was looking forward to it, he did need to make sure his team hadn't destroyed the squad room in his absence. Tony left unsupervised had a tendency to end badly for McGee.
As he waited for Jenny to come down at the end of the day, Gibbs found himself thinking about what he'd overheard Tony say to Adkins and Peterson. She really was vastly different outside the office, more like she'd been when they first met, and he found himself feeling more pity for her than he was accustomed to. He'd never realised just how much people disrespected her position simply because she was young and an attractive woman, and frankly, it pissed him off.
The Jenny he knew didn't take shit from anyone, and while that was still certainly true, she was limited now in the ways she could react. He found himself laughing as he remembered the day she'd thrown a stapler at Stan Burley for making an inappropriate comment, and the look on the younger man's face as she'd threatened to staple certain parts of his anatomy to the floor. He was still laughing when he pulled out his phone a minute later and as it rang, he tried to regain his seriousness. He'd just had a brilliant idea, and he wanted to try to put it into action before Jenny appeared.
"Burley."
"Burley, Gibbs."
"Hey, Gibbs! Long time, no see! How've you been?"
"Good. Congrats on your promotion."
"Thanks. So, what's up? Haven't heard from you in...damn, seems like forever."
"Not much new. Got a new boss, though."
Burley laughed.
"Yeah, I heard. Who would have thought? Red really moved up in the ranks. Bet she busted your balls from day one."
He laughed quietly.
"You know it. Can't say I didn't deserve it, though. Listen, got a favour to ask you."
"Sure."
"Jenny's been through quite a lot lately, and I wanted to cheer her up a bit. Any chance you could make it in for a visit?"
Burley was silent for a moment, and Gibbs wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake.
"Yeah...I heard about that. She's okay, though? Physically?"
"She will be. She can't talk right now, but in a month or two, she should be okay."
"That's good. I didn't keep in touch with her after she—well, you know...but I hope she's doing good. Hell of an agent."
"Still is. Broke a suspect's nose not too long ago. Impressed pretty much everyone."
"Damn. Way to go, Shepard. Let me check my schedule, and I'll try to make it back. I'll let you know as soon as I can."
"Take care, Burley."
"Will do. You do the same. And Gibbs?"
"Yeah?"
"I was really sorry to hear about Kate. She seemed nice."
"She was."
He hung up not a second too soon, because as soon as he put his phone back in his pocket, Jenny stepped out of her office, and he smiled as she walked down the steps. Scars or not, she was still beautiful, and he'd be damned if he was ever going to let her forget it.
Closing her eyes as Ducky stood in front of her, Jenny fought every instinct she had to turn her head away. Gibbs' hand was held tightly in her own as the doctor began carefully removing the stitches in her cheek and she tried to keep from shaking. She'd never been a fan of having sharp instruments = close to her face and when he had finally finished, Ducky gave her a reassuring smile.
"Now, if you could lie back, my dear. We'll get started on the other set."
She nodded slowly, leaning back on the cold autopsy table, and it suddenly occurred to her that not many people could say that they'd lain on one of the metal slabs and lived to tell the experience. She smiled, slightly amused, and Gibbs frowned as he held her hand.
"Something funny?"
She looked up at him, hoping he understood that she'd explain later, and he nodded. Ducky began removing the stitches carefully, not wanting to accidentally hurt her, and he narrowed his eyes in concentration.
"Everything okay, Duck?"
"Yes," Ducky answered slowly, "I'm just trying to concentrate."
Jenny tried not to roll her eyes and Gibbs smirked down at her. It seemed to take ages, but she knew it had only been around half an hour, and when the doctor finally straightened up, he gave her a smile.
"Now, what was so funny, my dear?"
Jenny smiled as she sat up, signing to Gibbs and when he started laughing, Ducky frowned.
"She said not many people have lain in autopsy and lived to talk about it."
"Yes," Ducky replied laughing, "Yes, I suppose you're right."
He looked at her seriously, gently touching her skin, and watching her for any sign of discomfort.
"Are you in any kind of pain?"
She shook her head slowly, signing again and Gibbs frowned.
"Jen...it'll still be awhile."
Ducky frowned.
"What did she ask?"
"Wanted to know when she could try speaking."
Shaking his head, Ducky looked at her sternly.
"Don't even think about it, Jennifer. Not for at least three more weeks. I mean it. You could permanently damage your vocal chords."
She nodded sadly, and signed again.
"She wants to know how bad the scarring is."
Ducky smiled, his eyes kind.
"You'll be pleasantly surprised, my dear. It's not nearly as bad as you'd think. I'd wager that, given enough time, you won't be able to notice it unless you're trying to find it."
Jenny looked to Gibbs for confirmation, and he nodded, smiling at her.
"He's right, Jen."
She nodded slowly, lightly trailing her fingers lightly over her skin. It was slightly raised and though it didn't hurt, it still felt strange and unnatural. She hopped down from the table, hugging the Scottish doctor gently, and she kissed his cheek as she walked out of the room.
"Thanks, Duck."
"Of course, Jethro. I would say anytime, but I'm hoping nothing like this happens again."
"It won't."
Ducky frowned.
"Well, with Harrison still out there, you never—"
"Ducky. It won't."
The cold seriousness in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by the doctor, and suddenly he understood. He nodded once and Gibbs met his eyes.
"She doesn't know?"
"Nope. Not gonna find out, either. Only ones who know are you, me, and Fornell."
Ducky nodded again, looking at the younger man seriously.
"Jethro, don't take this the wrong way, but how are you handling this? I know how Jennifer's dealing—"
"She's not."
"Precisely. Which is why I want to remind you that you need to take proper care of yourself as well as her. We can't afford to have you both collapse."
Gibbs frowned.
"She hasn't collapsed."
"Not yet. She will. Once the euphoria of survival wears off and she's forced to slow down because she's pushing herself too much...she's going to fall hard. We'll help her the best we can, but you and I both know that you're going to be the one she turns to most. You're of no use to her if you can't take time for yourself."
Gibbs nodded thoughtfully and met his friend's eyes briefly.
"I know you mean well, and you're right about pretty much everything, but there's just one thing you forgot, Duck."
"What's that?"
"I have Jenny. She's always there when things get difficult, and knowing that I can turn to her...it makes everything worth it. We support each other through everything, and she's there when I need someone that understands."
Ducky smiled as he listened to his friend, and Gibbs frowned at the look.
"What?"
"It's good to see you happy, Jethro. It's been such a long time since I've seen you genuinely smile."
Gibbs nodded at him and walked through the doors, wondering where Jenny had disappeared to.
He found her in Abby's lab, the two enjoying a silent conversation, and when the Goth noticed him, she smiled, waving.
"Hey. What's going on down here?"
"Oh, the Director and I were trying to think of a good place to have your wedding."
He frowned.
"Abs, we haven't even set a date yet."
"I know, but it's exciting! We haven't had an office wedding in years, and especially not one this epic. Everyone's going to want to be there. We need to think about the size of the venue."
-She does have a point, Jethro.
He nodded, and placed a hand on Jenny's shoulder. She turned to look at him, smiling as she leaned closer, and he kissed the top of her head.
"When you're finished, let me know. Got something I want to show you."
Jenny nodded, waving goodbye to Abby and when they stepped into the elevator, she raised her eyebrow at him.
-What is it?
"In your office. I'll show you."
She glared, blowing a stray strand of hair from her eyes and as he watched her from the corner of his eye, he fingered the small box in his pocket. She exited the lift first and when they passed Cynthia's desk, she stopped them quietly.
"Director Shepard, Senator Wilkinson has been calling and insisting that you give him a date for your rescheduled meeting."
Jenny rolled her eyes for the millionth time that day and nodded.
I'll email him later, Cynthia. I'm sorry that he keeps bothering you.
The younger woman smiled as she read the note and waved her apology away.
"It's okay, Director. It isn't your fault."
Jenny smiled at her and Gibbs closed the large silver door, leading her to the adjoining bathroom. He flipped on the light, and nodded in the direction of the mirror.
"Fixed it for you."
She smiled, wondering when he had managed that, and nodded.
-Thanks.
He shook his head.
"Not done yet."
Turning her around, he forced her to look at her reflection and she sighed. Though it was nowhere near as bad as she had expected, she still couldn't tear her eyes away from the scar on her throat. He pulled out the box from his pocket and opened it, holding out the necklace in his hand. Jenny's eyes widened as she looked at the silver chain and she reached out to touch the delicate emerald and sapphire teardrops. They were inlaid in diamonds and when he fastened it around her neck, she turned to face him, ignoring the tears in her eyes.
-What's this for?
He shrugged. It didn't escape her notice that the gems matched both of their eyes, and she smiled at him. He wrapped her in his arms, and leaned closer, his breath warm on her skin.
"That's what it was for."
She arched an eyebrow and him and he kissed her gently.
"I wanted to see you smile, Jen."
Jenny wrapped her arms around him, raising up to kiss him, and when she unexpectedly deepened the kiss, he lifted her slightly off her feet. He backed her up against the door of her office, and her fingers wound into his hair. As much as he wanted to keep going, he knew that it would be safer for them both if he stopped. She frowned as he forced himself to stop kissing her, and he looked down at her seriously.
"We can't, Jen."
-You don't want me.
It wasn't a question, but still he shook his head.
"No, it isn't that. God knows, it isn't that. I don't want to hurt you. I would never forgive myself if that happened."
She sighed, but nodded. He was right, much as she hated to admit it, and he raised her chin so she would look at him.
"Let me be absolutely clear: I will always want you, Jen. Nothing in the world could ever change that."
He kissed her again, slower this time, and when her eyes met his, he gave her a brilliant smile.
"I love you."
She brought her lips to his in response, and he held her tightly against his body, his hands tangling in her long hair.
"Besides," he said with a breathless smirk as he released her, "Ducky would murder me if I hurt you."
-He'd probably kill us both.
"Very good point."
He watched her as she walked around her desk and when she sighed, he frowned, wondering what had caused her change in attitude.
"What's wrong?"
-Have to email Senator Wilkinson.
Gibbs smirked and she glared at him.
"Play nice, Shepard."
-And if I don't?
He glared in response and she smirked. She beckoned him over and he read her email, nodding his approval.
-Glad to know I pass inspection.
He kissed her temple and spun her chair around so that she was facing him.
"Every time, Jen."
Holding out his hand, he pulled her up from the chair and led her to the door. She picked up her jacket, and as they prepared to leave for the day, he pulled her back against his chest.
"You are the most amazing person I've ever met."
She smiled, then frowned, looking at him suspiciously.
-What do you want?
He smirked.
"Just wanted to remind you."
Opening the door, he smiled as they passed Cynthia's empty desk, and when Jenny walked down the steps toward the elevator, Gibbs had never been so proud of the way she carried herself. She still had a long way to go, but he knew that as long as she had the support of the people who loved her, she would be ready to kick ass and take names in no time at all. He'd be damned if he was going to let anything (or anyone) stand in her way.
A/N: I'm excited to bring Burley into this. I love writing his relationship with Jenny (or rather, my take on what it could have been).