Chapter 2
Later that night, as Jenny was heading to bed, she passed Rebekah's room and noticed that her bedside lamp was still on. She pushed the door open quietly, and noticed Rebekah sound asleep on her bed, holding the picture of Jethro and Jenny when they were agents in Paris. She put the picture back on the nightstand, and heard a song come on the radio that she hadn't heard in almost 17 years. It was her and Jethro's song. He sang it to her one night in Paris. Every time she heard it, it took her back to Paris and the feelings she had the night she broke the heart of the only man she ever truly loved. She shut the stereo off and walked over to the door. Before she shut the light off and closed the door, she stood there and watched Rebekah sleep. She looked so happy. As jenny turned the light off and shut the door, she began to wonder if maybe breaking up with Jethro was a mistake.
When Gibbs woke up the next day, he woke up with feelings he hadn't felt in so many years. As he got dressed, he walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer. He reached clear to the back of the drawer and retrieved the little black box he had hid there since Shannon and Kelly were buried. He hadn't opened it since the day he put the ring back in it. He sat down on his bed and moved his fingers across the bow. The delicate velvet was still the exact way it had been the day he bought the ring for Shannon. He slowly opened the box, and found that the diamond ring that had once been on Shannon's left hand was just as shiny and gorgeous as it was the day he gave it to her. Soon it would be shining on Jenny's hand, where it would stay of all time.
He closed the box and put it on the jacket pocket. Once-upon-a-time, he would have known Jenny's answer. She would have said yes before he even got those for little words out of his mouth. He smiled, remembering what they once had. He hoped they could rekindle those feelings again.
Gibbs arrived at work 30 minutes later to find everyone, including Ducky, Abby and palmer standing beside the desks waiting for Gibbs so they could find out what this secret was he was keeping from them. Tony leaned over to McGee and asked, "What do you think Probie? Is someone getting fired, or is Gibbs retiring?"
McGee looked at Gibbs, trying to read his face. "I can't tell Tony. His face has no readable expression on it. McGee stepped forward and handed Gibbs his coffee, as he did often.
"Why, thank you McGee. Let's go people." Without skipping a beat, Gibbs headed upstairs to the Directors office with the rest of the crew in toe. They all arrived in Jenny's office, expecting the worst. They stepped in to see the director and another young lady sitting at her desk. When everyone came in, Jenny and Rebekah stood up. Gibbs walked over and stood beside them. Jenny looked at the crew with a small smirk on her face, and said,
"Everyone, I would like you to meet my daughter, Rebekah Shepard." Everyone was silent. They couldn't believe there ears. Abby leaned over to Ducky and whispered a question in his ear. To which, he just shrugged.
Gibbs cleared his throat and said, "Rebekah is OUR Daughter."
"We need some clarification on this on, Jethro." Ducky said as he scratched his head.
"I became pregnant with Rebekah when Gibbs and I were undercover agents working in Paris. When Gibbs and I broke things off, I didn't know I was pregnant. I found out two days later. I kept it from Gibbs, not knowing his reaction. I knew it was wrong, so yesterday, I broke the news to him." Jenny put her arm around Rebekah and gave her a little squeeze.
"It's no mistake."
Abby, who had tears in her eyes, didn't say a word. She walked slowly up to Rebekah, not believing her eyes, but knowing it was true. She touched Rebekahs hair and face to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Then, unexpectantly, she took Rebekah into a big welcome-to-the-team Abby style hug.
"You're special Rebekah. I want you to know that. Don't you ever forget it. If you ever want to talk or just spend time in the lab, it's always open." Abby wiped the tears from her eyes and joined the rest of the group, knowing that Gibbs would be happy again. He has a family now, she thought. The one thing that was taken from him 8 years ago, he got back.
Gibbs turned to Jenny who had tears in her eyes because she was touched by what Abby said. Gibbs took Jenny's hands in his and began the speech he had been preparing for all night. Although he did this two years ago, this was the moment he had been waiting for for so many years.
"Jenny, ever since that first day I met you, you have always been special to me. I was attracted to you in ways I was never attracted to a woman. I should have done this years ago, but I didn't have the guts to." Gibbs let go of Jenny's right had, pulled the little black box out of his jacket pocket, and got down on one knee, right there in front of everyone. Everyone in the room gasped, and Jenny started crying. Gibbs opened the box, which made Jenny gasp again, and she began to cry a little harder.
"Jennifer Shepard, Will you be my wife?" Jenny wiped her tears away, swallowed, and, without any further hesitation, shook her head and said "YES YES YES!" Gibbs got up and took Jenny into his arms. After a few seconds, Jenny pulled away, and Gibbs gave her a confused look.
"You forgot something Jethro."
"I did?"
"Yes, you did."
"What?"
"The ring. You forgot to put the ring on my finger." Gibbs pulled the ring out of the box with shaking hands and placed it on Jenny's left ring finger. The ring was a perfect fit. Once he had placed the ring on her finger and they finished their embrace, the rest of the group all came over to give their congratulations. Kate came over to give Rebekah a hug when she noticed she was crying.
"Rebekah, what's wrong?"
"Nothings wrong. Everything is right. This is what I have been wishing for for my entire life…my mom and dad getting married, and having one big, happy family."
"Well your family's not big, but you still got your wish."
"It is to big."
"But, you're an only child…how do you get that?"
"All of you. You all are part of our family too. Team Shepard/ Team Gibbs are all one, big happy family."
"Yeah I guess so. Congrats."
"Thanks Kate." Rebekah caught her mom's eye. She could tell that it was the happiest day of her life. She would finally have a complete family, the one thing she so desperately wanted. Tomorrow her daughter would be working along side not only her, but Jethro too. In a few short months, they would officially become a family, and they would all be living together.
As she was heading upstairs that night, she noticed the light in her mom's home study on. She knocked, and waited till her mom said it was okay to enter. When she heard 'enter', she walked in and closed the door behind her.
"Is everything okay mom?" Rebekah approached the desk and pulled the blanket tighter around her.
"Everything's fine. I'm just trying to wind down and letting the engagement sink in. It still feels like a dream to me."
Jenny took of her glasses and put down the Klienfelds Bridal Catalog. Rebekah caught the title out of the corner of her eye.
"Already trying to find a dress? Rebekah pointed at the magazine. "I see you've chosen a very good bridal shop."
"Really? I didn't really know if they were good, but the have a wider range of dresses. And custom making/fitting. By the way, we need to start making up the guest lists and the wedding party list. That way we can start getting invitations ready."
"Yes we do. Do you have any ideas for bridesmaids, maid of honor, that sort of thing?" Rebekah sat down in the chair across from her mom and pulled her knees up to her chest.
"Well, I've decided that I want Kate and to be my maid of honor, and Abby, Cynthia, and you to be my bridesmaids."
"You want ME to be a bridesmaid in your wedding?!?!" Rebekah was touched. She always wanted to be in a wedding. They were romantic and she always wanted to remember that she was part of a new beginning for two special people.
"So that's a yes? You'll be my bridesmaid?"
"No."
"No?"
"No. It's a YES YES YES YES! Rebekah got out of her chair and ran around the desk to give her mom the biggest hug she had ever given.
"I'm glad to see you're as excited about the wedding as I am. Uh, Rebekah?"
"Yes mom?"
"I can't breathe."
"Oh. Sorry." Rebekah released her mom and smiled at her. "I'm so happy for you." Rebekah took a hold of her mom's hands. "I know you have wished for this to happen in the back of your mind for so many years."
"And now I'll have the one thing that I wanted more than anything else." Jenny moved her eyes from Rebekah to the picture of her with Grandma and Grandpa Shepard just before they passed away.
"What's that?" Rebekah followed her moms stare.
"You. Your dad and me. As one family. Sharing good and bad times, creating memories." Jenny grinned at the picture and picked it up.
"Wow. That almost sounds like the beginnings of personalized wedding vows." Rebekah gave her mom a 'that's an idea' look. It was a look that Jenny defiantly understood.
"It does. I think we are going to stick with the traditional vows. They're not quite as romantic, but, it'll save us trying to write our feelings down and put them in vow form. Your dads not very good at expressing his feelings verbally, let alone on paper."
"Yeah, tell me about it. Want some loco-hot-cocoa?" Rebekah got up and headed toward the door.
"Sure, Hun. You know how I like it." Rebekah giggled. Her and her mom liked it the same way.
"Our famous Loco-hot-cocoa." Hot chocolate piled high with mini marshmallows and whipped cream with a cinnamon stick and a spoon. Jenny used to make it for her when she was down in the dumps or really happy about something. When she was sad, it always cheered her up. She'd drink it when she was happy just for the fun of it.
"Okay. Two Loco-hot-cocoas coming right up." Rebekah walked out of the study, Jenny smiled, thinking back to those late nights when Rebekah was little, talking about her dreams and goals, boys, where she pictured herself by the age of 16, things about her father. Now Rebekah was a young, vibrant 16 year old ready to take on life, takes chances, not take no for an answer, not afraid to take risks. She's so much like me it's scary…But I'm proud of her.
When Rebekah woke up the next morning, she realized she had fallen asleep in the study. As she was going up the stairs, her mom came down, already dressed and ready for work.
"You better hurry up. You'll miss your first day of training." Jenny smiled, just as excited as Rebekah.
"I'll be down in 20. I promise." Rebekah reached up and fixed her moms jacket. Sometimes she wondered what her mom would do without her.
"I'll keep breakfast waiting for you. It's your favorite."
"Blueberry pancakes piled on top of one another with chocolate chips in between?"
"Of course. Special breakfast for a special person on a special day. Go on, get dressed. You don't want to be late."
"No I don't" Rebekah hurried upstairs, trying to decide what outfit to wear. She decided on her eggnog colored ¾ length sleeved blouse with the brown vest with the belt that her mom gave her for Christmas. She put on her brown trousers and her combat boots. She knew she better wear the boots or she wouldn't be allowed to go out into the field with the rest of the crew. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was her first day as an agent. She was finally going to work beside her dad and all of her friends. She looked up to them, and felt honored to get to work with them and learn from the best. She pulled her hair into a half pony tail, made sure her bangs were out, and clipped it in place. She fixed her bangs, giving them a little curl, and began applying her make up like she had been doing for 4 years. Simple, but with flare. Lilac eye shadow, black mascara, black eye liner, peach blush, and a light lip gloss for everyday wear. She looked so much like her mom that she was often mistaken for her. She didn't mind, but she wanted a little change. Maybe cut her hair a couple of inches. She finished up and headed downstairs to eat breakfast.
Rebekah came downstairs, and when her mom looked up at her, she saw tears form in her eyes. Jenny got up and walked over to Rebekah, trying not to cry.
"You look so grown-up. Sometimes I find myself looking for the little seven year old girl who used to come running down the stairs in her p.j.s wanting to go to work with mommy."
"I still do. But, this week, I'm spending the day with dad. Maybe someday soon you and I can work side by side like you and dad once did."
"I hope we can too. But for now, you are Special Agent Rebekah Shepard. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And I'm fine with that. I don't want any special treatment. I want to be treated like the rest of the team."
Rebekah gave her mom the famous Gibbs stare, which made Jenny snigger.
"And I respect that. You better eat your breakfast. You have a long day ahead of you." Jenny sat the plate with the two pancakes and a glass of orange juice on the table in front of Rebekah.
"Yes Mommy." She often did that just to see what her mom would say. This one caught her off guard.
"That's my sophisticated daughter." Jenny walked over to the coffee maker and filled her travel mug with coffee.
"Do you want to take coffee with you?" Jenny got out the special travel mug that Rebekah always used.
"Yeah, and I want to take Abby a caf-pow. I'll get one for me when I get to work."
"Abby's really rubbing off on you. Just promise me you won't do anything crazy."
"Mom, don't worry. I don't look good in black lipstick, and you know I'm claustrophobic. I'm not going to start sleeping in a coffin." Rebekah crossed her arms and gave her mom an Abby look that said 'so ha!'
"I believe you." She started putting the dishes in the dishwasher, when she remembered something. "Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't give me that look. You know it only works with Abby."
Rebekah just smiled and got up. "We better get going it's almost 0-700."
"Yeah, we better. Here's your coffee."
"Thanks."
"No Problem." When Jenny and Rebekah arrived at work, Abby got excited and ran over to give Rebekah the biggest hug ever.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm so excited! I can't believe you get to work with us!
"Thanks….. Uh, Abbs?"
"Yes?"
"I can't breathe."
"Sorry." Abby let go of Rebekah and straightened out her vest.
"It's okay. Here's your caf-pow!" Rebekah handed her am extra large drink that she knew would make Abby smile.
"Thank you! And, you can come into my lab anytime. Mainly because I know how Gibbs is."
"And exactly how is that Abby?" Gibbs walked up behind Abby staring at the back of her head.
"Amazing, sneaky, knows how to get what he wants, my silver-haired fox…oops. Sorry Director."
"It's okay Abby. I don't mind you calling him that. Its something special between you to that started way before I became director. I don't want our marriage to change anything between you two. "
"Thanks Director. Nothings going to change how I look at him."
"One more thing Abby."
"Yes Director?"
"Rule 26. Don't apologize…it's a sign of weakness."
"Good job Jenny. I taught you well."
"Well, I did learn from the best after all." Abby looked up at the director, surprised. She hadn't expected that kind of response from Jenny. But in the back of her mind, she was relieved that she didn't have to find another name for Gibbs. He was her silver-haired fox, and he always would be. And she had no problem with the Directors and Gibbs getting married. She was actually glad that someone snagged him up. And hopefully, this time for good.
"Hey Rebekah!"
"Hey Tony!" Rebekah waved at Tony. He better watch himself, she thought to herself. If he doesn't, my dad might kill him. If I don't first.
"Morning Kate!" Rebekah waved to Kate who had just arrived for the day.
"Hey! You here to spend the day with your dad?" Kate sat down at her desk and took a drink of her water. Kate was a health-conscience kind of person, and Rebekah looked up to her. She always thought it was important to be healthy. It drives Tony crazy, but he deserves it. He always bores her with all of these movie references.
"No, I'm here to start my first week of TOD on the team." Rebekah pulled out her two badges and Id badge, and the 6-hour and showed them to Kate. She knew how to shoot it too. She was a damn good shot.
"Really? You're going be working with the team? Kate was surprised. She didn't know that Rebekah was old enough for TOD.
"Yeah, but I wont officially be an agent till next year. I only turn 17 in three days.
"Wow. You're lucky. Usually you can't do TOD till you're eighteen."
"Yeah I know. But, I have connections if you know what I mean."
Kate's phone rang, and, as usual, she got it on the first ring.
"Special Agent Todd…Thank you we'll be right there." Kate hung up the phone and grabbed her gear just a Gibbs walked into the desk area.
"Dead Marine at Quantico, Boss." Gibbs went over to his desk and gathered his gear.
"Well, Agent Shepard, this is your lucky day. Let's go people." Where are McGee and Dinozzo? Gibbs looked at Kate with quizativeness.
"McGee's with Abby, and Tony is with the Director in MTAC." Gibbs looked up at MTAC and began going upstairs. "Get McGee. We'll meet you in the motor pool. Kate, gas up the truck." Gibbs threw Kate the keys, which came as a surprise to her. Usually McGee or Tony did that. She was only in charge of inventory in the truck.
"On it. Come on Rebekah. We get there first, we have our choice of seats." Kate smiled, knowing that it would aggravate Tony like crazy.
"Sounds good to me. I call shotgun!" Rebekah smiled at Kate with that ornery grin that Gibbs was famous for.
"Well, since you're a Probie, and nothing like Tony, I'll let you have it. I just hope Tony doesn't get made to set up front with you." Kate shuddered at the horrible memory of her first case.
"Why do you say that?" Rebekah always Tony was an okay guy, so she didn't understand what Kate was trying to say.
"Because he always makes me sit between him and Gibb or him and McGee, and then has the nerve to bore me with his dumb movie references."
"You're forgetting something, Kate?" Rebekah put her shades on as they neared the truck. Ducky and Palmer were already there, making sure they had everything in their truck.
"What's that?"
"I could get him promoted. I have ties with people, you know." Rebekah started the truck just as Gibbs, McGee, and Tony came up to it. She started to scoot over so Gibbs could drive, but, much to her surprise, he went to the passenger side and motioned for Kate to scoot over.
"Tony, McGee, in the back."
"Thanks a lot McGee." Tony opened the door and climbed in, slapping McGee in the back of the head in the process.
"It could be worse Tony." McGee shut the door and sat down across from Tony, laying his bag beside him on the floor.
"Oh yeah, how's that Probie?"
Gibbs could be driving. If he was, and in a bad mood, we wouldn't make it through the trip."
"You have a point there Probie….What do you think of Shepard?
"You mean Rebekah? Well, I don't know her that well yet, but I like her. And, no, not in a dating way. McGee gave Tony a death glare, knowing Tony was going to ask or say that.
"How 'bout you?"
"Well, she's nice…love the hair. But I don't think it would be a good idea to date her."
"Whys that?" McGee asked, surprised that Tony wasn't hitting on a girl.
"She's Gibbs daughter, McGee. One wrong word or move and I'm dead."
"True. And, Gibbs probably wouldn't approve of you anyways."
"What's that supposed to mean exactly Probie?"
"Well, you're not exactly the perfect gentleman kind. You can only think of getting a girl home and in bed. It's like that's the only reason you are in a relationship."
"Not true…….OWWW!" Tony's head slammed into the side of the truck as Rebekah slammed on the brakes.
Rebekah looked into the rearview mirror. "Yes it is Dinozzo. Oh, and one more thing. Make the wrong move at me, am ill personally cure your overactive sex drive." Rebekah gave Tony a small grin and put the truck in park and shut it down.
As McGee got up and walked toward the back of the truck, Tony slapped him on the back of the head.
"What was that for?"
"Not telling me she could hear what we were saying."
"You should have already known that Tony." Tony glared at McGee, knowing he was right. He knew Gibbs' rule about not dating co-workers, but, he had never felt the same way towards anyone else they way he did Rebekah.
"Kate, please call me Becky. Rebekah is so formal. You go by Kate, not Caitlyn, so I want to go by Becky not Rebekah. Mom and Dad may call me Rebekah, but everyone else I want to call me Becky."
"Okay. I like the name Rebekah, though. What's your middle name?"
"Marie. Yours?"
"Rebecca."
"Really, how do you spell yours?"
"Rebecca. Isn't that how you spell yours?" Kate picked up her Backpack, sketch pad, and the camera.
"No."
"How do you spell it?"
"Rebekah. It was my Grandmas first name, and is my mom's middle name. She wanted the name to carry on through the generations."
"That's neat. So, what will happen when your mom and dad get married? Will you take his last name?" Kate stepped under the yellow tape that was surrounding the crime scene. It was standard procedure, although sometimes they couldn't use it.
"Yeah after they get married, my name will be Rebekah Marie Shepard-Gibbs. Shepard is the last name on my birth certificate, but my mom said I could take dads last name if I wanted to.
"That makes sense. I mean, it's only right to carry one your fathers' name. Kate started snapping pictures of the body and the surroundings. "I just wonder what the Director will be called."
"What do you mean?"
"Will she be called Director Shepard or Director Gibbs or Director Shepard-Gibbs?"
"I'm pretty sure it will stay Director Shepard. If she changes it, many people may not know who it is because they only know her as Director Shepard. Becky put numbered markers down around important evidence for Kate to get snapshots of, and then began to dust for prints. Kate was talking and treating her as part of the team. Not like a Probie. She knew that she was being accepted as a team member, not a newbie that didn't know her ways. As they packed up the equipment and Kate helped Ducky and Palmer load the body into the ME truck, Gibbs came over to Becky and handed her a coffee.
"You take it like your mom, right?" Becky smiled and took the coffee." Yes, but I also like to add French vanilla just for flavor. Ill drink this though. I need it, badly. How did you know I drank coffee?" She took a swig of the coffee, hoping it would help calm her nerves.
"You came in this morning with a coffee and a caf-pow for Abby. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." He looked at her with a look that he only gave Jenny.
"What do you think so far?"
"About what?"
"The job. Do you still think you want to do this?"
"Yeah. I thought that being an RN, it would prepare me for some of the gore, but this was twice as bad as what I see day to day in the ER."
She had a flash-back to what she saw when she walked up to the crime scene. The Marine was lying on his back completely nude, with his chest and stomach cut open and organs spilling out all over the place. The stench was horrible. His heart had been cut out and cut open.
"I'm glad you still want to do it after that scene. Most people wouldn't. You're strong, like your mom." Gibbs finished his coffee and gave Becky a quick squeeze. "Now the whole family can be in this field."
Gibbs got in the truck and started it up. Becky rode in the back with Tony, and McGee and Kate rode up front with Gibbs. Becky only decided to ride in the back with Tony so she could get to know him a little better. She had grown to like him, despite everything that Kate and McGee had said about him.
"So, how did you get into this job, Tony?" Rebekah shifted in her seat to make herself more
comfortable.
"I filled out an application."
"I mean, how did you become interested in it?"
"Well, I worked on the homicide department with the Baltimore Police Department. When I heard there was an opening for a field agent, I applied. I had always wanted to work with the FBI and CIA. I wanted to be in the military police, but I didn't really want to go into the military to do it."
"Its not all fun and games you know. Trust me. I've sat through so many MTAC sessions with my mom. I know how to get my way with higher authority. I could be Director, you know."
"That doesn't surprise me. With Gibbs as a Father and Jenny as a mother, that's one hell of a killer combination that I certainly wouldn't want to piss off." Tony leaned back in his seat and let out a deep breath. Rebekah found that amazingly attractive for some reason. Sometimes, just looking into Tony's eyes could put her in a trance.
They arrived at the office all exhausted and ready to go to sleep. As the team headed down o autopsy and to Abby's lab with the evidence, Rebekah walked over to her desk and laid her head down. Today had to be one of the most exciting days of her life. Jenny came down the stairs 30 minutes later to find Rebekah at her desk, asleep. She walked up and gently shook her.
"You okay honey?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Today was everything I expected it to be and more. I'm exhausted. But, it's worth it in the end." Rebekah stood up, stretched her arms and legs and yawned. She grabbed her coat and shut the light off that was above her desk.
"You ready to go home mom?"
"Not yet. I have Tony out on an undercover op, and I'm watching it in MTAC. Ill be a couple more hours. Go on home. I'll drive the company car."
"No. I'm staying. If I'm going to be a field agent, I need to get used to long nights and setting through MTAC sessions. Rebekah looked at her mom with a serious look on her face, one she knew that she would get her way with.
"Okay. I'll add that to the list of things you did while in training. But, before you go in, I have to read you in on the op." Becky and Jenny went upstairs to MTAC as Jenny tried summing up the mission into a shorter version. If she did the whole thing, it would take way too long. Becky wasn't really focusing that well. She was still sort of on cloud nine. She never expected she could be working alongside her mom and dad all at the same time, or even being an agent. As she entered MTAC, she felt at home. Everything in the room felt familiar to her, since she spent a lot of time in there growing up. Now she would be in MTAC almost daily doing video conferences with SECNAV and other military personnel. Rebekah sat down in her usual chair while her mom walked closer to the screen and put her headset on. She always looked so professional doing video conferences and stuff. Many people had often confused her and her mom. Of course, it was hard to tell them apart since they looked identical, acted alike, and even dressed alike sometimes. She giggled at the thought of how often that happened.
"Hey Becky, what the highest amount of storage on a computer?" Jenny turned around and asked Rebekah so she could further assist Tony.
"A terabyte."
"Thanks."
"Tony, the largest is a terabyte. Remember, to get an exerdition, we need an actual confession from this guy." Jenny stared at the screen watching every move.
"Got it boss." Tony continued to talk to the suspect, hoping to get close enough to cuff him.
"Whatever you do Dinozzo, hold your fire."
"Got it boss. I can't guarantee it, but, unless he shoots at me, I'll bring him in alive."
"Thanks Tony. Hey Becky can you run and get me a…." Jenny turned around to find Becky lying across the seats, sound asleep. Jenny walked over, draped her jacket over Becky and dimmed the lights. She knew Becky would end up asleep, she just didn't know how long it would take.
Later on that night, around 0230 am in the morning, Jenny was ready to go home. She gently awoke Rebekah, and helped her stand up.
"When did I fall asleep?" Becky stood and yawned.
"You fell asleep about a half an hour after we came up here. You're tired. I understand. I did
the same thing when I was a Probie."
"It was the best day ever. I did so many things that other agents never got to do… except maybe Kate."
"You probably did." Jenny set her headset on the desk, and then she and Becky waked out of MTAC together laughing.