"This makes a change."
Gibbs glanced up at the woman seated across from him.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, every time we eat together it always seems to be take out in your basement," Hollis replied. He smiled. "Not that I don't like your basement, it's just nice to see daylight for a change and not be breathing in sawdust all the time. How do you stand it?"
"I don't breathe," he replied. She laughed. He knew she was happy because her retirement had officially started and she wanted him to be happy too but he just couldn't, not completely. In the back of his mind was the picture of Lizzie asleep in Jen's office the day before. His daughter. He hadn't told Hollis and didn't exactly plan to. He had a feeling she wouldn't take it too well.

"I've decided how I'm going to spend my retirement," she said over desert.
"What?"
"I'm moving to Hawaii," she announced. "I was kind of hoping you might decide to come with me."
"I can't," Gibbs replied. "Not now. Not..." Not when I've just discovered a daughter. Not when Jen's pregnant with my baby.
"Don't worry," Hollis smiled. "I had a feeling you'd say no. Call my gut instinct."

When it was time to leave, Gibbs walked Hollis to her car. She turned to him and smiled.

"Bye Jethro," she said.

"Bye Hollis," he replied, kissing her on the cheek.

As she drove away, Gibbs took out his cell phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.

XOXOXOX

By the time Jenny reached the phone it had cut to the answering machine. She was about to pick it up but hesitated when she heard Jethro's voice.

"Jen, I know you said you don't want anything and all that but- If you need anything, you know I'll be there, right? Night Jen."

Jenny stared at the phone and smiled.

XOXOXOX

"You wanted to see me Jen?"
Jenny took off her glasses. "Yes Jethro, sit down," she said. To her surprise he did as she said. He was surprising her a lot lately.
"What is it?"
"I wanted to run something by you," she said. She could see he was curious but trying to hide it. "It's about Lizzie. Do you want to meet her?"
"Do I want to meet my daughter?" he said. "I think the answer's pretty obvious Jen."
"I thought it might be," she replied.
"What changed?"
"Sorry?"
"Few days ago you didn't want me involved, now you do. Why the change of heart?"
"Your message," she replied simply.

XOXOXOX

Despite himself, Gibbs was nervous. Sitting in his car outside Jenny's house, he knew he should stop being stupid and just go in. But meeting his daughter was more nerve racking than he'd thought. He wanted to do this though, more than anything. He'd lost Kelly when she was eight. Was it fate that he was meeting Lizzie when she was eight? After Jen had told him he'd stood in his basement and tried to blame her, tried to hate her for not telling him, for keeping his daughter from him. But no amount of bourbon could make him hate her, it never had. For the first time in eight years he admitted to himself that he did still love her. Okay, maybe not the first time. There had been a moment, when they were together before Hollis that he'd admitted he loved her. But that was the first time he admitted that he'd never stopped loving her.

Eventually he told himself to grow up and get out the damn car and knock on the door. So he did.

XOXOXOX

The herd of butterflies in Jenny's stomach all but disappeared when she opened the door and saw Jethro standing there. She hadn't said anything to Lizzie in case he changed his mind and didn't show. When he smiled at her the remaining butterflies left. She didn't doubt that this was the right thing to do.
"Come in," she said, breaking the silence. "Lizzie's in her room. I'll go up and get her in a minute," she explained as Gibbs followed her to the kitchen. "Coffee maker's in the same place,' she added with a smile.
Gibbs smiled. She knew him too well. While the coffee was making he looked at the pictures on the fridge, obviously stuck up by Lizzie since her return. There were ones of Lizzie, ones of Lizzie and Jenny, and ones of Lizzie and a young brunette.

Outside her daughter's room, Jenny paused and took a deep breath. Whenever Lizzie had asked about her dad in the past Jenny had usually manged to brush it off, or if she hadn't she'd managed to tell her part of the truth. She hated lying to her daughter and tried to tell the truth as much as she could.

As usual Lizzie was positioned on the floor with her model horses and her "Wicked" soundtrack playing.
"Hey mom," she smiled. Jenny sat down on the bed.
"Lizzie, can you turn off the music for a moment please?" she said. "I need to talk to you." Lizzie jumped up, ran to the CD player, then jumped up on the bed next to her mom.
"What is it mom?"
"You know what I told you about your dad? That he couldn't be with us because of my job? But that he loved you very much?"
"Yeah," Lizzie replied curiously.
"Well, now my job's changed and I'm not going to be leaving DC for a long time," Jenny explained. "And your dad works in DC too. And he'd like to meet you. But if you don't want to it's up to-"
"I want to," Lizzie interrupted.
"You're sure?"
Lizzie nodded seriously. Jenny held out her hand and smiled.
"Come on then," she said.

Lizzie clutched her hand tightly as she followed her mom downstairs. Jenny was surprised. Lizzie had been less nervous about meeting the President. Gibbs was leaning against the worktop, coffee mug in hand, studying the pictures on the fridge when they entered the room. He looked round at them. Jenny smiled, she could tell he was nervous, they all were.
"Lizzie, this is your dad," she said, watching her daughter carefully. Gibbs smiled at his daughter.
"Hey Lizzie," he said. He pointed at the pictures. "I take it these are you're handiwork?" Lizzie nodded.
"Mom didn't have any up," she replied, looking up at Jenny accusingly. "I told her she has to have them up."
"Quite right," he smiled.
"Mommy can we have pizza again?" Lizzie asked eagerly.
"Not again Lizzie!" Jenny protested. "Chinese?" Gibbs tried not to laugh at the face Lizzie pulled, pretending to consider her mother's offer before nodding happily in agreement. "Why don't you show dad your room?" Lizzie held out her hand towards Gibbs. Leaving the mug on the worktop, he took it and followed her upstairs.

"Purple's my favourite colour ever," Lizzie declared, leading him into the room. He could've guessed that by the lilac walls and purple bed covers. On the walls were a couple of posters for "Wicked", the floor was covered with model horses and the book shelves filled with novels.
"You like horses?" he asked.
"Yeah!" she replied, plonking herself down on the floor. He joined her. "Mom always buys me horses for my birthday. I asked for a real one but she said no."
"Ever been riding?"
"Once, mom didn't really like it."
"I'll take you."
Her face brightened. "Really?"
"Yeah," he replied.
Lizzie pointed to the "Wicked" posters.
"Mom took me to New York a few years ago," she explained. "And we went to see Wicked. It was amazing! We went to the Statue of Liberty and everything. I'm going to be in Wicked one day."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"You sound pretty determined."
"I am," she replied, jutting out her chin.
"Good for you," he smiled.

XOXOXOX

"Time for bed," Jenny announced. It was nine thirty, well after Lizzie's bedtime, but she'd let her stay up since her dad was here. Lizzie pouted.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes," her parents replied in unison.
"Night daddy," she said, reluctantly leaving the room.
"Night Lizzie," he replied. Jenny got up from her position on the couch next to him.
"I'll be back in ten," she said. While she was gone he gathered up the remnants of dinner and carried the empty containers to the kitchen.

Jenny tucked the covers up over her daughter.
"Good night Lizzie," she said softly.
"Night mommy," Lizzie replied sleepily. Jenny kissed her cheek.
"Sleep tight," she whispered.

When she returned to the living room Gibbs had finished clearing up and was sitting on the couch again.
"You didn't have to clear up," she said. He shrugged. Jenny sat down beside him. "You asked me what changed," she said. "And I said it was your message. Well what changed to make you leave it?"
"Hollis is moving to Hawaii," he replied.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"I'm not. Makes things easier."

Jenny stood up and took a photo album from the shelves, then sat down beside him again. She opened it. Gibbs leant closer to see the pictures. He smiled. The pictures on the first page were taken a few hours after Lizzie was born. There was another copy of the one in Jenny's office, of her holding Lizzie, and pictures of Lizzie in her cot, snuggled up in a white blanket, another sucking on her thumb. After a few minutes Jenny turned the page slowly. The double pages pictures were of Lizzie in a living room-Jenny's he assumed-crawling, sitting in her travel cot, playing with wooden blocks. They sat in silence, flicking through the album. There were first day of school pictures, first scabby knee pictures, second and third scabby knee pictures, holiday pictures, class photos.
"I like that one," Gibbs said quietly, pointing at a picture of Lizzie grinning, mouth open, with one of her front teeth missing.
"That was when she lost her first tooth," Jenny replied. Apart from that they didn't speak. Finally, the album ended. Glancing at the clock they saw over an hour had passed.
"Lizzie's been asking to go to the zoo since she arrived," Jenny said. "Do you think you could take her?"
"Of course," Gibbs replied. "How about tomorrow?"
"Sounds good."
"Why don't you come Jen?" he asked.
"I'm not really fit for a trek round a zoo," she replied.
"You can walk all day in those high heels but can't walk round a zoo," he teased.
"Jethro, I'm seven months pregnant!" she protested.
"So?"
"Jethro!" She looked at him. "I'll think about it." He grinned at her, and she shook her head. His arm was along the back of the couch, but when she leant back he took it forward onto her shoulders. Jenny was surprised, but didn't move away. Instead she moved closer instinctively, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

Eventually Gibbs looked at the clock and saw it was after eleven. Jen was tired, he knew.
"I should go, let you get some sleep," he said.
"You can stay you know," she replied, without moving her her head from his shoulder.
"Right, so do you have a pillow and blanket for me to use? For the couch?"
"Jethro," she said, sitting up so she could look at him. "We have an eight year old daughter and I'm pregnant with your child. I don't think it's really going to matter if you sleep in my room. But thank you for offering."

XOXOXOX

When he climbed into bed next to Jen, it felt right. Gibbs could tell she was already asleep. As he fell asleep himself, he took Jenny's hand into his own and held it tight.