To all my amazing readers and reviewers: Thanks! I covet your reviews.

I promise I won't abandon the story...it's just slow going. My baby girl turned one year old, and my next baby girl turned two. Octobers are busy months for birthdays here. Many of you congratulated me when they were born :)

Here's a little chapter for you.

Thanks for reading along. Plenty more to come.

Love to all,

Jenny Wrens :)

Tony checked his cell phone again as he waited for the elevator to reach the fourth floor. Gibbs hadn't responded to his last several texts, and he really required some kind of direction. Riley wasn't going to stay sedated forever, and he needed to know how he should proceed. Tony tapped his phone against his chin, lost in thought. Things had become so out of the ordinary, and Tony wasn't sure how well Gibbs was handling the pressure. He'd known the man for a long time, and Gibbs had only ever been emotionally involved a time or two but never to the extent that he seemed to have become with Riley. What was it about the young man that seemed to set Gibbs off the rails? Or, was it more his mentor had lost his head because of Aimee's illness? Tony couldn't be sure, but he was determined to do what he could to support his boss and friend. If Gibbs wasn't able to step up to the plate, then maybe Tony would need to be the one to rise to the occasion. Just then the lift doors opened and to Tony's surprise and horror, they opened to hear Makayla's muffled and terrified scream. Before he even realized what he was doing, his instincts kicked into high gear and he took the lowlife down to the ground with one solid punch to the throat. The guy went down like a stone and Makayla went flying, tumbling across the floor.

In an instant, Tony was scooping Makayla up into his arms. "Hey, you okay? What happened?" Tony kept a close eye on the miscreant who lay on the floor rolling around in obvious agony, grasping at his throat.

Makayla threw her arms around Tony's neck and sobbed, not being able to answer any of his questions. Tony could feel her trembling all over; he pulled her in close, wrapping his strong arms around her protectively while hushing her softly and gently kissing the side of her head.

"It's okay, Mackie, you're safe now."

Tony felt his heart racing in his chest. He had no idea what he had walked in on, but he found himself feeling very thankful he had chosen the timing he did. He held Mak in his arms and continued to stare at the predator still flailing around on the floor. Tony could see that the guy was winded and badly bruised but perfectly capable of breathing. It hadn't been the first time he'd used the move, so he knew just how much force to use; too much could crush the trachea and too little made him vulnerable to an immediate retaliation. His instincts had kicked in and worked for him. He was grateful for his training and gut reactions.

"Why are you alone?" Tony tried again pulling Makayla away from him. Her flushed face and terrified eyes told him a story he didn't want to read. "Did he hurt you?"

Makayla shook her head fiercely but still couldn't find her tongue. She gasped for air as sobs racked her small frame.

From the corner of his eye, Tony could see the man struggling to his feet. Tony shifted Makayla in his arms and drew his gun, pointing it with accuracy.

"If I were you, I'd stay on the ground." The guy made direct eye contact with Tony and lowered himself to the ground once more. For the first time since arriving Tony caught the smell of booze drifting off the guy. The man reeked of liquor.

"H-He said he was coming to see his sick grandmother…" stammered Makayla, her frightened eyes wild.

"Where's Jenny? Why are you here alone, Mak?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Blue lights were flashing, and things went crazy. The doctor came and t-took Agent Gibbs away. Aunt Jenny went to see what's wrong. Cynthia was supposed to get me. H-he grabbed me…" Makayla dissolved into tears once more.

"I wasn't gonna hurt her," croaked the man gruffly from the floor and then began coughing violently.

Tony kept a protective arm around Makayla as he kept his gun trained on the creep coughing his head off.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs stared at Aimee through the glass window in the children's intensive care unit. Her small frame looked even more fragile beneath all the wires and tubes connected to her. He'd been warned that they had intubated her, but he still hadn't been ready for the sight he saw. Aimee had stopped breathing during the surgery and putting her on a ventilator had saved her life. Gibbs felt his stomach clench hard and he had to grip the wall to keep his balance. The doctor said they'd managed to take out the chip, but they'd no guarantee of what kind of damage the chip or the surgery had done to the child. No one would know until Aimee woke up. If she woke up. There were no promises and no assurances. It was now a matter of playing the waiting a game: the game no parent wished to play ever.

Gibbs put his hand upon the window yearning with his entire being to be holding Aimee's hand and stroking her blonde hair. He wasn't allowed to enter the room for the first 24 hours after the surgery. Aimee needed complete quiet to rest and heal. Tears ran unabashedly down his cheeks. He'd never had a chance to worry or pray over his wife and daughter; they'd been instantly killed in a car accident years ago. Gibbs always wondered what life would have been like had they survived. Would Shannon have wanted Aimee and Janessa?

"C'mon, Aims, you can fight this, girl. Goodness knows you have the fighting spirit. You give me a run for my money every day. Come back to me, kid," he murmured softly, the glass fogging under the warmth of his breath.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder causing him to spin around somewhat startled. His concerned, cobalt blue eyes caught sight of Jenn's warm green eyes. He felt himself relax a little and a small smile pulled at his lips. It was strange how Jenny's presence always seemed to bring him so much comfort lately. He couldn't explain it.

"How's she doing, Jethro?"

He shrugged and turned to stare through the glass once more. "She's not breathing on her own."

He heard Jenny gasp.

"She's strong, Jenn," he managed to whisper, not sure if he was saying it more to calm her fears or his own.

"She is," agreed Jenny, her voice soft and comforting. "Did they get out the chip?"

He nodded. "They sent it to NCIS." A part of him despised the little piece of technology. So many people had died for it and plenty more still could. There was so much riding on the little chip, and he sure as hell hoped Abby could find something useful on it after everything that had happened. Maybe now Aimee would be safe. That is, if she lived through this.

Jenny wrapped her arms around him from behind. "That little girl in there is a prize-fighter just like her father. She's stubborn and determined. She's going to make it, Jethro. Don't lose hope."

Gibbs nodded again. He patted her warm, comforting hand and pulled away long enough to draw her into an embrace. Screw what was appropriate or not, he needed Jenn's strength. He'd reached the end of his own and was running on empty.

They stood like that for several minutes before Gibbs pulled away, tears lingering on his cheeks.

"If anyone would have asked me a year ago what I'd be doing today, I'd have said working on another boat to burn; never thought my heart would be pieced back together by two little blonde haired monsters." Gibbs heard himself chuckle softly. The sound was foreign in his ears.

"You're a good man, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You gave those two girls a whole new life. They're lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have them." More than ever, Gibbs knew that he had been blessed with a second chance. His heart had mended and allowed him to love again. He knew Ness and Aimee were the reason why.

Jenn smiled. "How's your dad managing with Janessa?"

Gibbs took a few steps away, his back to the ICU glass. "My dad adores that little imp. She's got him wrapped around her cute pinky finger. He can't say no to her. Gave her chocolate chip pancakes for supper with ice cream. She'll have him up all night."

Jenny giggled. "Scientific studies have proven sugar doesn't affect behaviour, Gibbs."

Gibbs scoffed. "Talk to me after you've spent an evening alone with Janessa loaded up on ice cream sundaes, then we'll see who believes those studies.

Jenny laughed again.

Gibbs sobered suddenly and glanced towards Aimee again. "I'm not sure I will make it if she dies, Jenn. It almost broke me when Kelly and Shannon were taken from me. It still affects me today. I don't think I have what it takes to go through that again."

Jenny placed a hand on his forearm sympathetically. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Jethro, but let's not borrow trouble. One day at a time."

Gibbs nodded and took a deep breath. He knew Jenny was right, but he couldn't help nursing the brooding feeling building within him. He put both hands on the glass and leaned his forehead on it, closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer. He wasn't a praying man normally, but it was obvious he had reached the end of everything natural. Now he needed something supernatural. And if there was a God out there with some kind of supernatural control of the universe, he wasn't so proud that he couldn't acknowledge it and beg for compassion.

"Did you and Mak talk anymore?" asked Gibbs, his mind beginning to feel more at peace. He didn't look at Jenn nor did he move his head away from the glass. The coolness felt nice on his forehead and for once, it felt nice to not hold his own head up.

"Cynthia probably has her by now."

Gibbs reluctantly lifted his head and turned to look at his friend. "That's not what I asked."

"She didn't want to talk to me, Jethro. She's angry."

"Well, I'm thinking she has a right to be."

Jenny growled under her breath. "I don't want to discuss this anymore. I'm her aunt, not her mother. I'm just caring for her while her parents are in Europe."

Gibbs rubbed his eyes and wandered over to a chair to sit down. He knew he should probably head home and get some rest. The medical team had made it clear that no one could visit Aimee tonight. She was stable and they would let him know if there were any changes. There was nothing more he could do tonight. Sleep would do him and Jenny a world of good.

Almost as if reading his mind, Jenny said, "You should get some rest, Jethro. There's nothing else you can do tonight. C'mon, I call my driver to take us both home."

Gibbs looked up at her and nodded. He reached a hand up to her, and she pulled him to his feet with a small grin. He swung an arm around her shoulder and followed her out of the Children's Intensive care area.

As they rounded the corner, they heard a commotion that caught Gibbs' attention. In the distance, he could see some LEOs with a man in custody; Gibbs' brows furrowed when he noticed Tony with a distraught Makayla. The teen girl was acting panic-stricken, and his gut told him that something was very wrong. As they grew a little closer and Makayla caught sight of her aunt, the young teen pulled away from Tony and bolted towards them, flying straight into Jenny's arms. Gibbs quickly put a hand to Jenn's back to keep her upright.

"Hey now, what's wrong Makayla?" crooned Jenny. Gibbs was taken aback at how tender and maternal Jenn sounded as she wrapped her arms around the girl. It wasn't a side he saw often. He liked it.

Makayla was visibly shaken and sobbing. "T-that guy…he…I was so scared," she managed between sobs.

Gibbs placed a gentle hand on her sweaty head and looked towards Tony. "What the hell is going on, DiNozzo?"

Before Tony could speak, one of the local LEOs took a few steps towards Gibbs. "Are you her parents?" the red-headed officer asked, pulling his notebook out of his pocket. The other officer, a tall brunette, struggled to hold the perpetrator as the man fought against the handcuffs.

"Lemme go, you stupid idiot," the man slurred, spitting onto the floor.

"Hold still," commanded the officer. "Do you want me to take him down to the squad car, Nick?" The woman was struggling to contain the inebriated man. Gibbs saw how close Tony stood in case she needed help. Neither Gibbs nor Tony was against women in law enforcement, but they both wouldn't have let one of their female partners struggle alone. Hell, Ziva was a powerhouse who could hold her own under most circumstances, but they were both too old school to just sit by and allow it. The redheaded cop seemed oblivious to his partner's struggle; either that or he just didn't care.

"Hold up a sec." The officer turned to Gibbs once again expecting an answer to his question. Gibbs felt relief that the guy hadn't sent her off with the drunken man to contend with on her own. The officer has some scruples at least.

Jenny embraced Makayla close to her but answered instead. "I'm her aunt. What's going on?"

Just then the elevator opened and Cynthia came rushing out towards them apologizing profusely, mumbling something about her car breaking down on the highway and having to wait for a tow truck to give her a boost. Jenny waved her to silence.

"Seems this man took a liking to your niece and tried to drag her off for a little-unsolicited entertainment."

Makayla shuddered at the words and Jenny pulled her closer.

The officer looked at Makayla sternly. "You're fortunate, kid, that Agent DiNozzo here came along. Many girls in your position aren't so lucky. Why was she alone, ma'am?"

"I never touched the damned kid!" shouted the man. This time he sounded a lot more sober and aware.

From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw the female officer lose her grip on the man as he pitched himself forward. The guy then proceeded to swing back around and bash the officer into the wall. Tony immediately jumped to the rescue knocking the man to the ground. He put a knee on the miscreant's back.

"Get off of me, you Neanderthal," the man shouted, followed by a few slurred profanities. Tony remained where he was.

"Shouldn't you help your partner get the perp under control before you start asking us pointless questions?" asked Gibbs, not being able to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Jenny looked at Gibbs. "I'm taking Makayla home. I trust you can handle this for me?"

Gibbs nodded and stepped aside so Jenny could leave.

"Wait one minute here. No one is leaving until I get some statements," said the red-headed officer in indignation.

Gibbs glared at the officer. "You heard the woman. She's taking her niece home. If you've got a problem with that, you can take it up with me."

Jenny didn't hear anything else as she entered the elevator with Makayla and Cynthia in tow.

So many questions: Who is the guy that attacked Makayla? Will Aimee begin breathing on her own? Stay tuned :)