A/N: Here we are again! In which Jenny and Gibbs spend a quiet night at home, and fluffy fluff abounds before the even fluffier Jibbs wedding. No, this isn't the wedding chapter, though. Soon, I promise! Enjoy!

Jenny's legs were burning as she ran, but she knew if she stopped, she would lose the suspect she'd been chasing for the past ten minutes. She wasn't sure how she had allowed herself to be talked into going after him when she could have simply waited in the car, but that wasn't really the point. The man ducked into an old house that, if looks were any indication, had been abandoned for years, and she swore under her breath as she realised she would have to follow.

Gibbs was right behind her, his voice low in her ear as he spoke, and she turned to look at him as she tried to catch her breath.

"Wait out here."

She shook her head.

"No way. I came this far, I'm not sitting out here."

"Jen, this house is falling apart. You could get hurt."

He tried to step through the broken front door, and frowned when she grabbed his arm.

"You're not going in there alone. Tony's not here yet, and you need backup."

"No."

"Gibbs, I'm your boss. I outrank you. I'm going."

She pushed past him, and when he caught her by the arm, she glared.

"I can't lose you."

Shaking her head, Jenny met his eyes seriously.

"You won't. We're wasting time arguing about this. Let's go."

Sensing that she wasn't going to back down, he finally nodded, and they carefully walked into the house. Jenny frowned at the creaking above her head and pointed to the stairs. Silently, they made their way up the steps, and Jenny realised with horror that they were indeed rotting under their feet. How in the world was this place still standing? Why hadn't it been torn down?

As they moved around the second floor, Gibbs nodded his head in the direction of a small room off to their right.

"Hoffs, we know you're in there. Come out now, and this will all be over," Gibbs called through the door.

There was no answer, and the former marine kicked the door open. He had taken no more than two steps into the room when Hoffs' fist connected with his face, and he pushed past Gibbs forcefully, running down the hall. Jenny bolted after him, knowing that a simple hit hadn't incapacitated Gibbs, and she pulled her weapon from its holster. She could hear Gibbs behind her, but paid him no attention. Just as her hand touched the sleeve of Hoffs' jacket, he turned, shoving her backward into the railing of the staircase.

She knew, as soon as her body connected with the weak structure, that it was going to break, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Gibbs reached for her hand, his fingers brushing against hers, but he wasn't able to hold her. The wood splintered, and she fell backward with a scream, her eyes closed as her heart pounded in her chest. Her body landed on the floor below with a loud crash, and she moaned weakly. Every breath was a struggle, pain ripping through her chest, and she closed her eyes again. Maybe next time, she would stay in the car after all.

Gibbs frowned as he pulled himself up after being punched by Hoffs, and shook his head. Jenny had taken off after him, and as he followed the sound of their footsteps, he tried to ignore the pain just under his right eye. Jenny was so close to grabbing him, and when Hoffs suddenly turned and grabbed her by the shoulders, Gibbs felt his blood run cold. He ran towards her as fast as he could, reaching for her hand as she was thrown into the railing. He would have sworn that their fingers touched, but it wasn't enough.

Hoffs made a mad dash for the door, and as Jenny crashed onto the floor, Gibbs ran down the steps as carefully as he could. Completely forgetting that their suspect had fled the scene, he knelt down next to the redhead on the ground, willing her to open her eyes.

"Jen! Jen, can you hear me?"

Slowly, her eyes opened, and she moaned quietly.

"Who put the ground there?" she muttered sarcastically.

He carefully raised her to a sitting position and she winced as pain shot through her entire body.

"Do you think you can stand?"

She nodded, and he pulled her to her feet, checking for any open wounds. There was a small cut just above her eyebrow, and a bit of blood underneath her nose, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. No doubt there would be major bruising and pain within the next few hours, and he looked at her seriously.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said weakly, "You?"

"Fine."

She took a step forward, and when she stumbled, he grabbed her by the arm. Still a bit disoriented, she closed her eyes tightly, and took a slow breath. Sharp pain shot through her as she inhaled, and he frowned, his eyes roaming over her body seriously.

"We need to get you checked out."

She shook her head.

"It was just a fall. Where's Hoffs?"

Gibbs jerked his head to the door.

"Ran out."

Walking slowly to the entrance, Jenny frowned as she stepped through the broken door, and called over her shoulder softly.

"Jethro?"

He could detect the hint of amusement in her voice, and he frowned as he walked up behind her. Looking past her, he laughed quietly when he realised what she had seen. Furiously trying to dislodge his leg from the broken wood of the porch was Hoffs, and he swore loudly as Gibbs placed the handcuffs around his wrists.

"Guess it's a good thing this place was so decrepit," Jenny gasped.

Gibbs frowned at the quality of her voice, but said nothing. He pulled out his phone, glaring when DiNozzo finally answered and yanked Hoffs up by his shirt.

"DiNozzo, where the hell are you?"

As she listened to him berate his Senior Field Agent, Jenny walked slowly to the car, leaning against it, trying to find a way to breathe that didn't send stabbing pains throughout her body. Yep. Next time, she was definitely staying in the car.

"Jen, I really wish you would let Ducky take a look at you."

Jenny glanced up from her book, smiling as she took the cup of tea he handed her.

"Thanks."

He nodded, kissing her cheek, and he sat down next to her on the couch, wrapping his arm around her. She took a drink of her tea, placing her book down on the table in front of her, and shook her head.

"I'm fine, Jethro. Just sore."

Her hands were shaking slightly and he reached for her, taking the cup from her thin fingers.

"Will you eat something?"

"I'm not hungry."

He shook his head.

"You're too thin, Jenny. I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately, but you have to eat. Please."

Jenny sighed, knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it. Finally, she nodded, and he kissed her hand gently.

"Thank you."

Sometimes, she really hated when he said "please". He knew as well as she did that she could never refuse him when he did.

"Jethro?"

"Hm?"

"I hate you."

He smirked.

"No, you don't."

Gibbs frowned as he walked back down the stairs, wondering where in the world Jenny had gone. He hadn't seen her since they'd eaten, and he'd thought that perhaps she had decided to lie down and sleep. A quick search of the house had turned up nothing, and he opened the front door, scanning the yard. Her car was still there, as was his truck, and he ran his hand through his hair as he walked into the kitchen.

On a hunch, he opened the back door, and when his eyes landed on her familiar figure, he smiled. She was sitting in a chair on the back porch, her feet tucked under her, cradling a cup of tea in her hands. She'd been drinking hot tea more frequently as of late, and he wondered if perhaps that was her way of coping without alcohol.

He said nothing, opting instead to simply watch her, and he was momentarily stricken by how beautiful she looked. The soft white cardigan she wore, combined with her long red hair falling in loose waves, gave her an almost angelic appearance, and as she tucked a strand behind her ear, he made his move to the porch.

"Jen?"

She turned, giving him a soft smile, and he looked down at her curiously.

"What are you doing out here?"

She shrugged.

"It's a nice night," she said simply, "I thought I would just enjoy it."

He knelt in front of her, his bright blue eyes locking on her green ones.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Jenny reached out, touching his face gently.

"I'm fine, Jethro," she reassured him.

He looked at her somewhat skeptically, as though he wasn't sure if he believed her, and she took a slow drink of her tea. She met his eyes calmly, and he reached out to touch a bruise that had formed near her collarbone.

"How badly does it hurt?"

She sighed, shaking her head slowly.

"It doesn't really, unless I move too much or breathe too deeply."

He frowned.

"You're having trouble breathing?"

"Only if it's too deep. It's not that bad."

He shook his head, running his hand through her hair gently.

"Jenny, please. Let Ducky examine you. It would make me feel better."

"Tomorrow," she promised, giving him a smile as she kissed him.

Accepting that this was the only answer he would get on the subject, he decided that it would be for the best to let the matter drop. He straightened up, kissing her cheek softly, and smiled down at her.

"I'll let you have your time alone."

She shook her head, reaching for his hand.

"Will you stay out here with me? Just for a little while?"

He nodded, stepping back into the house and grabbing a chair and sitting next to her silently. The sun was beginning to set, and he found himself mesmerized by the way it set her hair ablaze. She was staring off vacantly, lost in her thoughts, and he gently took her free hand in his, running his fingers over her skin.

She glanced at him, smiling at the contact, and when he kissed her fingers, he smiled at the softness in her eyes. It wasn't often that Jenny let her guard down or allowed herself to be vulnerable, and he couldn't help but feel proud that it was him she had trusted enough to show her more gentle side. He very nearly told her that he loved her, but he didn't want to break the tranquility of the moment, settling instead for kissing her hand again.

As they sat in the fading light, Jenny found herself focusing on the warmth of his skin on hers as his thumb moved over their entwined fingers. She didn't need words to know what he wanted to say, and she smiled as she drained the last of her tea from the cup. Quiet moments like this were hard to come by, especially in their line of work, and she wished that they could stay this way forever. They didn't move until the sun had completely set, and when he stood, he held out his hand, lifting her from her chair.

"Do you know how stunning you are?"

She shook her head slowly, her eyes downcast.

"Not right now, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You're always beautiful, whether you're drunk, upset, sleeping, even when you're screaming at me. You could be sitting absolutely still, doing nothing, and I would have trouble keeping my hands off you."

"That's just because you're a man and all men think about is sex and food," she remarked bluntly.

"You're not wrong," he agreed with a laugh, "but I meant what I said. You're beyond gorgeous, Jen."

She smiled up at him, resting her head on his chest.

"Do you know how attractive you are?" she asked quietly.

He laughed.

"Jen, no one thinks men my age are attractive."

She pulled back, looking at him as though he'd gone insane.

"Haven't you ever heard of the term "silver fox", Jethro? There's a reason Abby uses it to describe you. You have the most incredible eyes I've ever seen, and when you smile...game over. You're so gorgeous that sometimes it hurts to keep from touching you. Watching you work on your boat...it's just about the sexiest thing I've seen. You already know how I feel about the whistling, and I don't mean just whistling to do it. When you do it to get someone's attention, it's really sexy."

"You really know how to stroke a man's ego, Jen," he said with a smile.

"That's not all I can stroke, gunny."

He glanced down at her and she pulled him closer, bringing her mouth to his in a bruising kiss. Her fingers wound into his hair, and when they finally broke apart, he smiled down at her.

"Maybe we should go inside."

She laughed, and nodded, picking up her empty cup.

"Yeah, but I don't think I can manage anything tonight."

"I don't want to risk hurting you, anyway. Ducky and Heather would kill me if I did."

Nodding again, she opened the back door, walking slowly into the house. She took a breath, closing her eyes against the sharp pain that shot through her, and when she leaned onto the table, Gibbs frowned as he set his chair down.

"Jenny?"

She didn't answer, and he was by her side in an instant, his eyes searching her face worriedly.

"Jen?"

"I'm okay," she said, her voice pained, "Just give me a minute."

She straightened up slowly, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Leaning against him heavily, she allowed him to lead her into the living room, not saying a word as he helped her sit down.

"You're definitely seeing Ducky tomorrow."

She nodded, falling over into his lap, and when his fingers raked through her hair, she smiled.

"Jethro?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

He frowned, looking down at her in confusion.

"What for?"

"All my life, I've pushed people away. Run from any situation that I didn't think I could handle. Shut everyone out and dealt with things in my own messed up way. And they let me. They eventually gave up on trying to force me to let them in, and walked away. I do understand, and I don't blame them in the slightest. They needed to think of their own lives and move on."

He waited, knowing that she hadn't finished, and kept running his fingers through her silky hair.

"You never did that. You believed in me when no one else did. You didn't let me run. You made me face the things I was afraid of. You pulled me out of the darkness when everyone else just left me there. You...you saw me. I can never repay you for that or thank you enough. I owe so much of who I am to you."

Glancing down at her, he nodded, contemplating her words and choosing his own carefully.

"Jen...you may not realise it, but you already have. You call me out on my faults, you're always there when I need someone to turn to, and you don't ever judge me for the choices I make. You might not always agree with them, but you've never once judged me for making them. I can't say the same about myself on that one, and I'm sorry about that. You make me want to be the best version of myself that I can be. You showed me that it's okay to let go of the past and learn from it. You changed my life for the better and made me realise that I could love again, even when I didn't think it was possible."

She raised up carefully, still unsure of her body's limitations, and brought her hand up to rest on his cheek gently.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

"Not nearly as much as I love you."

She shook her head.

"I respectfully disagree with that statement."

"Tough shit, Jen."

She laughed, running her fingers through his hair lightly, and kissed him gently. He deepened the kiss slightly, not enough to cause either of them to get carried away, and when he finally pulled away from her, she was smiling.

"I have a request."

"Anything," he answered seriously.

"Hold me," she said quietly.

He raised his eyebrow, silently asking her what she thought he was currently doing, and she smiled as she clarified.

"For the rest of the night."

Nodding, he kissed her again, and she returned to her previous position in his lap. One of his arms was wrapped protectively around her body and he ran his other hand through her hair. They didn't speak for the rest of the evening, but they didn't need to. Everything they needed to say was done without words.

Ducky frowned as he listened to Jenny's breathing and when she complied with his request to breathe deeper, her wince of pain didn't escape his trained eye. His hands touched her ribs gently and when she flinched, he sighed.

"Jennifer, I do believe you've broken a rib or two."

Gibbs frowned.

"I tried to tell her that she was being stubborn."

"I'm going to bandage this tightly, and if you two even think of engaging in any physical activities, I will strangle you both."

Jenny laughed quietly, and shook her head.

"You don't always have to threaten us, Ducky."

He looked at her as though she were stupid and she sighed, nodding in defeat.

"Okay, maybe you do."

She winced a few more times as he wrapped the bandages around her rib cage and when he had finished, he glared at her sternly.

"I mean it, Jennifer."

"You know, we do have other interests besides sex, Duck. That's not the only thing we do together."

"Yeah," Jenny added, exchanging a look with Gibbs knowingly, "We have a lot of other hobbies."

"Building boats—"

"Reading—"

"Chess," Gibbs supplied helpfully.

"Planning world domination—"

"Overthrowing the government—"

"Oh, shut up," Ducky snapped, glaring at them as they both laughed, "One of these days, I'm going to refuse to help you and then you'll regret your sarcasm."

"You'd never do that to me, Ducky," Jenny purred, leaning her head on his shoulder dramatically, "You love me."

"Besides, I don't think Jenny can speak without being sarcastic...you might be asking for too much, Duck."

Jenny smacked him and he shrugged.

"It's true," he muttered.

Ducky sighed, shaking his head as he packed up his medical bag, and when he leaned down to kiss Jenny on the cheek, she gave him a smile.

"We'll behave, Ducky. I promise."

"See that you do. I'll check on you in a few days."

Gibbs walked him to the door, clapping him on the shoulder as they stood in the bright light of the day.

"Seriously, Duck. Thanks. When she couldn't breathe, I was starting to worry."

"Anytime. Have a good day, Jethro. I've got to head home and bathe Mother's corgis."

"Good luck with that."

He laughed, and when Gibbs closed the door behind him, he flashed the redhead a smile.

"What do you say, Jen? Should we start that world domination plan?"

She nodded.

"Definitely."

When Gibbs walked through the sliding doors of Abby's lab, he frowned as he watched her do a cartwheel and land triumphantly on her feet.

"Never would have thought you were the cheerleader type, Abs."

"Gibbs! I'm not. Grammy taught me that. What can I do for you?"

"Need a favour."

She nodded, looking at him expectantly.

"I need you to keep something safe for me until the wedding. I don't want her to find it laying around the house."

He handed her an envelope, and she examined it curiously, the redhead's name written on the outside.

"Is it a copy of your will?"

He glared at her and she laughed.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! What is it?"

"A letter. I want to give it to her as a wedding present."

Abby was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet and he frowned.

"What?"

"Gibbs, can I read it? I won't tell anyone what's in it, but...please?"

Considering her carefully, he finally nodded. He knew he could trust Abby, and she was quite possibly more invested in his relationship with Jenny than anyone else he knew. She hugged him and opened the envelope, her eyes flitting back and forth over the page as she read.

Jen,

I know I'm not as good with words as you are, but I'm going to give this a try. You once asked me why I loved you, and I think now is as good a time as any to tell you. You are, simply put, the most amazing woman I've known since Shannon. I love your honesty, your blunt sarcasm, your courage, and your intelligence. But more than any of that, I love your strength. You've been through so much, especially in the past year, and you never gave up. You may have felt like things were hopeless, but you always kept going.

You told me that you could never thank me for everything I'd done for you, and I'm not asking you to. You give me so much to be thankful for every single day, and I'll never stop trying to show you how much you mean to me. You gave me hope when I couldn't find it on my own, you gave me a reason to keep going even when I didn't see the point, and you always see the good in everyone, even someone as damaged as me.

I love the way you fidget with your hands when you're nervous, the way you ramble when you drink, the way your hands always find my waist when we kiss. I love every part of you, even the softer side that you try to pretend doesn't exist, and even your darkness. You never stop surprising me, you're the one person I can be completely at ease with, and I am so proud of everything you've accomplished. We've come a long way from where we were when we first met, and I couldn't think of anyone else that I would want to spend the rest of my life with.

I love the way you call me out when I'm wrong, and the way you never stop fighting for what you believe in. You're so beautiful, in more ways than one, and your heart is the biggest part of that. I can't imagine my life without you in it, and every day, it gets better.

I love you, Jen. More than you will ever know.

All my love,

Jethro

Abby threw her arms around him as she finished the letter, and he was surprised to find tears shining in her eyes.

"Gibbs, that was beautiful! She's going to love it!"

"Not too much?"

"No way," Abby shook her head, pigtails swinging, "It's perfect."

She folded it and carefully placed it back in the envelope, hiding it securely in a drawer, and he kissed her cheek lightly.

"Thanks, Abs."

"You're such a closet romantic, Gibbs."

He glared at her as he walked away, and Abby smiled to herself as she thought about the letter. It was so sweet, and she was beyond happy that the silver fox and the fearless leader had finally found the happiness they both deserved in each other.

Jenny moaned and laid her head down on her desk tiredly, wishing with everything she had that the blinding pain in her head would ease up. She'd been fighting this migraine all day, and it had gotten to the point of distorting her vision and making her nauseous. Wincing as her door opened, she kept her head down and eyes closed, not even looking up when she felt him standing in front of her desk.

"You look like you're getting a lot of work done," he said dryly.

"Shut up," she snapped, her voice slightly muffled.

He looked down at her, frowning, and after a few moments, she raised her head up, glaring at him.

"Do you need something?"

Her voice was harsh, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Got some reports for you," he said, holding them up for her to see.

"Put them on my desk then."

He did as he was told, his eyes never leaving her.

"What's wrong?"

"You won't stop talking," she bit back.

"What the hell, Jenny?"

She sighed, rubbing her temple wearily, and shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry, Jethro. I have a terrible migraine, and it's making me sick. Literally. I've probably thrown up my actual stomach at this point."

His annoyance at her snarky attitude disappeared immediately and he nodded.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Closing her eyes, she shook her head again, moaning at the movement and she let her head fall onto her desk once more. He watched her for a minute and then he smiled as an idea came to him.

"Hey, Jen," he said, his voice deliberately soft, "come here."

She moaned, raising up to look at him with pure exhaustion, and sighed.

"What?"

He walked over to her couch and sat down, waiting for her to do as he'd asked. When she finally stood up, her vision was filled with black spots and she had to grab the edge of her desk to keep from falling. She carefully made her way over to him and sat down, frowning when he pulled her down so that her head was in his lap.

"If you're expecting a blow job, call a hooker," she muttered.

"No, now hush."

He pulled her hair loose from the ponytail it was in, and he gently began massaging her head, steadily increasing the pressure every few minutes. She moaned, part pain and relief, and he smiled. Her eyes stayed closed, and he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Have I told you how much I love your hands?" she murmured softly.

He smirked.

"A few times, yeah."

"Well, it bears repeating."

As the pain began to lessen slightly, she sat up, giving him a look that he couldn't quite identify.

"I'm sorry for being bitchy."

He shrugged.

"Kinda used to it by now, Jen."

"And here I thought you were with me for my winning personality."

Shaking his head, he kissed her gently.

"Nope. Just your looks."

"It's a good thing you look so good in jeans, because that makes two of us."

He smiled, glad to hear her sarcasm. She'd been uncharacteristically subdued the past few days due to the pain in her healing ribs and now her head, but her sharp remarks meant that she was on the road to being her usual smart ass self.

"If it gets too bad, go home, Jen. Don't overdo it."

She nodded, but he knew that she would force herself to keep working regardless.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged, kissing her as he stood up.

"True, but if I hadn't, I'd have been stuck with a bitchy redhead all night, and who needs that?"

She laughed, and gave him a gentle shove towards the door.

"Go away. I have work to do, and I'm sure you do as well."

"See you in a few hours, Director."

Nodding, Jenny stood and walked back to her desk, picking up her glasses slowly.

"Good afternoon, Agent Gibbs."

She swore she could hear his quiet laughter as he walked out of her office.

Heather Lloyd knocked quietly on Gibbs' door, carefully balancing the supplies she carried on her hip as she waited for an answer. When it swung open, she was surprised to see the man himself rather than her sister, and she smiled at him.

"Hi, Jethro."

"Heather."

He immediately took the box from her, glaring at her as he gestured for her to follow him inside.

"You shouldn't be carrying that," he admonished her gently.

"It isn't that heavy."

"You're pregnant," he said simply, "What is this, anyway?"

"The last few things we needed for the wedding. Candle holders, and Tori's flower basket."

He nodded, still unsure as to why he had allowed Jenny to convince him to have the wedding at his house, but he set the box carefully on the kitchen table with a sigh. She'd made a very persuasive argument, and in the end, he hadn't been able to refuse her.

"Are you excited?" Heather asked.

"I've been trying to marry your sister for the past eight years, Heather. Not my fault she's so stubborn."

"Yeah, she gets that from the Colonel."

Her remark reminded him of something he'd been meaning to ask, and he frowned.

"Is your mother coming?"

Heather shook her head.

"I don't think she even knows about it. Jenny and Mom aren't that close anymore. Not that they ever really were, Jenny was always a Daddy's girl, but...it got worse after he died. To be honest, even I don't talk to our mother. She got remarried a few years ago, and I haven't heard from her since, except the occasional Christmas card."

Gibbs nodded, and Heather smiled.

"Anyway, I just wanted to drop this off. Give my love to Jenny, wherever she is, and I'll see you both at the wedding."

"Drive safely," he called out as she left.

"Will do!"

He smiled to himself as he rummaged through the supplies she had brought, and sighed contentedly. He could hardly believe that his wedding was so close, and that finally, after all the years of waiting, Jenny would be his wife.

Jenny sighed in relief as Ducky cut the last of the bandages from her skin, touching the area gently.

"Any pain?"

She took a deep breath, and shook her head slowly.

"No."

He gave her a smile, but frowned when he noticed that she was twisting her hands together in her lap.

"Is something wrong?"

She smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm just nervous. The wedding is so soon, what if I mess something up? What if I trip walking down the aisle?"

"Well, then we'd both be on the ground," he pointed out, "Besides, with the way you walk in heels, you should have no trouble."

"Right. Or, what if I mess up my vows?"

He took her hand in his, patting it gently.

"Don't worry, my dear. You're going to do just fine. Even if you did mess up for some reason, you know Jethro wouldn't even notice. He's going to be so focused on remembering how to speak when he sees you that he won't think of anything else."

She smiled, touched by his reassurances, and hugged him gently.

"Thank you for being there with us, Ducky."

"It's my pleasure. I can't wait to see you both so happy."

Though she was still slightly nervous and worried that she would somehow mess up the ceremony, Jenny couldn't deny that she was also incredibly excited. She'd been lucky enough to have been given this second chance at their relationship, and she'd be damned if she was going to let a few pre-wedding nerves stand in the way of getting to spend the rest of her life with her best friend. As cliched as it was, she knew that nothing had ever been more true.

A/N: I think my favourite part of this is the night Gibbs and Jenny spend on the couch. Tapping into the softer side of their relationship was a nice change, and it shows that they aren't always the invincible people they pretend to be.