Chapter 9

Gibbs and Jenny were coming back from a chest x-ray to determine why she was still having so much trouble breathing when they heard voices coming from her supposedly empty hospital room. "Where'd you find the tree?" Tony asked.

"It's the one from the office. Cynthia brought it before she left," Shelby answered.

"Apples and ribbons? An American tradition?" Ziva's voice sounded quizzical, puzzled.

"French," Ducky explained with one word, trying to figure out how to hang the mistletoe Shelby had brought without making a hole anywhere.

"I cannot believe you brought the Chipmunks album," McGee said disdainfully, obviously to Tony.

"Home Alone?" Tony held up the DVD.

"It's a good movie," McGee defended his choice, having brought the DVD when Shelby requested everyone bring their favorite Christmas movie and music.

"Yeah, I liked it too...When I was five," Tony quipped.

"You're not still?" Ziva teased her partner, watching him take over for Shelby when she couldn't get the lights the way she wanted with just one hand.

Jenny sat in the wheelchair in the hallway, Gibbs' hands on her shoulders, watching their friends for a good five minutes. She'd hated the idea of having to spend Christmas in the hospital, but when she saw the room, the care her friends had taken with the arrangements, she felt like crying. Gibbs leaned down, kissing into her red hair, the move unnoticed by the decorators, and then pushed the chair into the room. There was a small Christmas tree, not a real one, but beautiful none the less, decorated with apples and ribbons. There was the mistletoe tied with ribbon, hanging off the IV pole. There were holiday lights, some clear, some blue, draped on a small card table full of snack foods and sandwiches cut in half.

Tony, acting as spokesman for the group, turned towards the couple, giving credit where credit was due. " Shelby thought that since you had to spend Christmas here, we might as well make it an actual celebration...NCIS style. We knew you couldn't do much, but everyone brought a movie, some music, some food, and a present."

"A present?" Jenny smiled, Gibbs helping her to get in bed, noticing that she was beginning to breathe hard again, wanting her to rest.

Shelby spoke up, Tony back beside her again, his arm around her waist. "I brought the presents we bought that night..." She paused, Tony squeezing her gently for support. "And instead of drawing names this year, everyone decided to get something for you instead."

Jenny sat there in silence, not knowing what to say, tears brimming her eyes as she tried not to shed them. Gibbs sat beside her, supporting her, his arms around her gently, not wanting to hide any longer, not from their people. Jenny always told him that their team were their family, but he'd never seen it, not until that moment.

"Thank you," Jenny finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

McGee popped 'It's A Wonderful Life' in the laptop after taking out the CD, Abby and Ziva beginning to pass out the food, Tony moving the presents to where Jenny could reach them as Shelby handed her brother a cup of coffee and a sandwich.

Jenny's attention turned towards Gibbs. "Eat, honey," she whispered just barely loud enough that Gibbs, Shelby, and Tony could hear, worried about Gibbs, knowing he hadn't left the room since she was admitted.

"She's right. You need to eat, boss," Tony surprised all that were listening, including himself, by speaking aloud, but earned a smile from Shelby.

Most of the gifts were normal, like books to read or a blanket to keep her warm, but two stood out. One was a pair of pajamas from Shelby, a nice change from the hospital gowns she'd been wearing, and the other was a very familiar necklace.

"I found it in the parking lot," Ziva spoke quietly, knowing what the necklace meant to her friend, that it was a gift from Gibbs when they'd been together, and that she rarely, if ever, took it off. "I thought you might want it back."

Abby, McGee, and Tony didn't quite understand what it was that made the tears finally start falling, but it wasn't missed on any of them when Gibbs kissed into her red hair, smiling gently at her. She wiped the tears away, rather embarassed, but trying not to show it. "Thank you, Ziva."

Shelby handed out the presents that she and Jenny had bought, a little reluctant to give Tony his, having not planned on him opening it in front of anyone else. When he opened the present and saw the jar of honey, he couldn't hide an amused smile, obviously appreciating what the gift symbolized, the honey dust that had once been so popular with him that he hadn't used in several years, not even with Jeanne. "I love it." He gave her a mischevious look. "Get plenty of use out of it."

Ducky turned his attention to Gibbs and Jen, noticing how pale she still looked, how quickly she became tired, and how she still was having trouble breathing. None of those facts were lost on Gibbs either, him being gentle, tender, even nurturing, with her, taking care of her. Both were glad when the room quieted down a little, but by the time the movie had ended, the party was over.

Abby hugged Gibbs first and then, studying Jenny, almost afraid she would cause some sort of damage, gingerly hugged her as well. "I'm glad you're okay," Abby said, barely above a whisper.

"Thank you," Jenny said, a slight hint of a smile crossing her lips, watching as McGee walked the lab tech out.

Ziva frowned, having been watching her friend as well. She held Jenny's hand and talked to her in a foreign language that Ducky knew to be Israeli. Gibbs could only watch Jenny nod and say 'todo', which he'd picked over the years to mean thank you, before Ziva left as well.

The three remaining friends hung around for a little while, cleaning up, until Jenny had fallen to sleep. Shelby looked at her brother, her blue eyes searching his own. "What's the doctor say?"

"Not much of anything I didn't already know. She's having trouble breathing and it's caused by the pneumonia and hypothermia hitting her at the same time. She's off the oxygen more today, which is good, but...I hate to say she's not getting better, because she is awake, she is able to leave the room, she's weaning off the oxygen..."

"It'll take some time, Jethro," Ducky said, his voice quiet and gentle, watching as his friend ran his fingers through Jenny's hair, calming her as she slept. "She just needs some time."

Gibbs nodded. "She wants to go home. I don't know what to tell her." He paused. "The party helped though...and having some real clothes." He looked at his sister and Tony, noticing something there, but deciding to focus on Jen for the time being. "Thank you. And thank the others."

Tony nodded, sensing they should go. "Sure thing, boss."

Shelby nodded. "We will." She kissed her brother's temple. "I'll have my cell phone on. You'll call me if you need anything." He nodded. "Otherwise, I'll be back tomorrow morning." She still felt a little weird about leaving them, but knew they needed this time together, alone, just like she needed to be with Tony.

Gibbs nodded, watching them leave before turning his attention back to Jenny, watching her sleep, thankful that she didn't seem to be having any bad dreams or much pain, thankful that she was there, safe, and even thankful for their makeshift Christmas, because they'd been together, with the people that meant the most to them...and each other.