Chapter 5

Shelby used her key to let herself and Tony into the house, quietly greeting Matt in the hallway, Tony looking around, absorbing his surroundings. He'd been in Jenny's office at work many times, but he'd never been to her home. The whole thing was a new experience for him and he didn't really know what to expect.

"Hey, Matt," Shelby said, looking into the study, seeing Jenny pace, her hands still shaky.

"There was no one here, but they'd obviously been here. Is Agent Gibbs…"

"He's coming home." She turned her attention back to the ex-Marine. "Was there anything besides the bedroom?"

"The bathroom had candles too, a full tub, glass of wine…" Matt paused, worried about his boss. "She hasn't said a word since we got here. I didn't touch anything, didn't know if…"

Shelby nodded. "We'll document it and then clean it up. Tony's going to stay if you want…"

He nodded, knowing the rest of her sentence. "All right, ma'am. Thank you." He took a last look in the study at Jenny and Cynthia, then left, Shelby locking the door back behind him.

" Shelby?" Tony questioned, waiting instructions.

"We're going to photograph, sketch, log, and then dismantle. If there's an investigation, I want it just the team. I don't want…" Her main concern wasn't public relations for NCIS at the moment, but the safety and sanity of her friend. They walked upstairs to Jenny's bedroom, Tony turning to look at the pictures on the hallway walls from time to time, seeing people he'd known for years in a way he'd never thought of them, Jenny, Ducky, Shelby, even Gibbs seemed to be more relaxed, happier, in the pictures that had obviously been taken off work.

Shelby stopped at the bedroom door, taking in the scene. From all aspects, it seemed like the classic seduction scene for a perfect romantic night, but that was what bothered her the most. "Tony…" She paused, turning to look at her friend. "She shouldn't stay here, should she?"

He shook his head. "You should take her out of here. I'll call Ziva and McGee; we'll clean this up."

"Jenny…" Shelby's attention was grabbed by the redhead standing in the door, taking in the room again. "Honey…"

As if on cue, the telephone rang, their attention going to the sound as Jenny knocked the basket off the dresser, knocking a candle over, burning herself and starting to cry. Once she started, she couldn't stop, standing there, crying and shaking. He put out the small fire the candle had started as Shelby hugged her friend and then just held her, knowing where they had to go, the only place Jenny would feel safe, the only place she knew she could protect her.

"Jenny." She took a handkerchief from nearby and wiped at her friend's eyes, a losing battle given the tears streaming down her face. "Jenny, let's go find Jethro, okay?" She received no answer, but didn't expect one.

Tony watched Shelby and Jenny walk out, still in shock himself. He had seen Jenny break only once before, the first night Gibbs had been in the coma, as she sat at his bedside, so absorbed in Gibbs that she hadn't even realized he'd seen her, a fact he'd never revealed.

"Can I help?" Cynthia asked, still standing in the door, having seen everything that happened. "Until the others get here?"

Tony nodded, knowing she wanted something to do, knowing she felt as helpless as the rest of them. He handed her the disposable camera Shelby had laid down. "Can you take pictures?" She nodded, beginning to work as he used his cell phone to call the rest of the team.

Gibbs knew something was wrong when he drove up to his house and saw his sister's Mustang in the drive. He almost wished he'd dropped Hollis by her apartment first, but they'd left from his house so her vehicle was still there. The drive from the lake had been silent, icy, but all he could think of was getting to Jenny. He fully expected Hollis to leave as soon as they arrived, but she surprised him by going inside with him. He opened the door and smelled fresh-brewed coffee, the best smell in the world to him right then, but didn't hear any noise revealing to him where his sister might be. He moved from room to room, seeing the door to his room partially closed, a tuft of red hair letting him know that Jenny was asleep, something he was glad for.

"No," Hollis said, turning on the basement light to the stairs as Gibbs went to get them two cups of coffee. "Absolutely not. It's one thing that we came home from our vacation early, but for her to stay here, sleep in your bed…"

"Exactly. His bed. Not yours. And she's here because she feels safe here. Oh, I forgot. You have no understanding of that word…feel, I mean," Shelby said, turning around, switching from one therapeutic moment to the other, from working on her brother's boat to finding an outlet for her rage.

Hollis made her way down the stairs. "I should have known you'd have something to do with this. I don't know what you and your little friend are planning, but I'm not giving him up…"

"You think we planned this?" Shelby asked, her blue eyes wide. "You really are a manipulative bitch, aren't you?"

Gibbs came into the basement, seeing and hearing everything. "You little shit. You're just doing this because you hate me. You've done nothing but manipulate your brother to dump me and get back with her."

"I don't hate you. I wouldn't waste my energy. I'd be fine with you if you made my brother happy. He's been through hell and deserves that much."

Hollis's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying one of us cares about my brother. And I'm that one." Hollis grabbed her arm and Jethro made a noise on the stairs, letting them know he was there before he came down.

Hollis dropped Shelby's arm and Gibbs looked at his baby sister. "Go check on Jenny for me, honey." He saw the look on Shelby's face letting him know she was furious. "Please."

She nodded. "Okay." She walked up the stairs, leaving the basement.

"Get out." Jethro's voice was even, but his eyes left no room for compromise, no room for doubt.

"Jethro, you didn't see…"

"I saw. Believe me I saw. I've seen a lot of things and I've let it slide. One thing you've never been able to understand is that my family comes first."

"Which family? Your sister and 'Jenny' or your wife and child you kept secret from me?" Her eyes blazed, ready to fight.

"Both. You're not family. I don't know what you are. But I do know you're gone." She started to say something. "Goodbye, Hollis." He watched her walk away, going upstairs to make sure there was no more fighting between her and his sister.

"What you ever saw in her I'll never understand. But then again, Diane was exactly like her."

He half-smiled for a brief second. "Tell me what's going on."

"How do you not know that Davidson's been released?" She asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I don't know. I'll pursue that later. I never would have left if I'd known." Shelby nodded, knowing it for the truth. "Tell me about the break-in."

She described the bedroom and bathroom for her brother and then what Jenny had done. "The team is investigating, but I figured that she'd want to keep this as quiet as possible."

"How does she not tell me this?"

"She didn't tell me about the stalking until last night. It's been hard on her. And let's just say that you haven't been the easiest person to talk to these last few weeks. Especially for Jen."

His face wrinkled slightly with concern and worry, making him look his age of fifty and then some. "How's your arm?" He asked, holding it gently in his hands, looking at it already beginning to bruise.

"It'll heal." She moved away, uncomfortable with the attention focused on her, even by him. "Tony's going to come over in about an hour. You should go see Jenny."

"How long has she been asleep?"

Shelby shook her head. "She's not asleep."

Gibbs looked at her and took the two cups of coffee he was holding to his room, nudging the door open, kneeling on the floor next to the bed so that he could meet her green eyes, now red, filled with tears she was still crying. "I brought you some coffee."

"You're home." Although she'd heard Shelby tell her several times that he was coming, she never really connected the words with him being there until he was inches away, within touch.

He nodded. "I'm home, Jen." He took a chance and carefully brushed some of the tears away from her cheeks, surprised when she put her hand over his, holding his hand to her face. She scooted back slightly, giving him enough room to sit by her, letting him rub her back in soft, small circles. "You want to talk about it?" He realized he'd chosen the wrong word when she shook her head no. "You need to."

She nodded. "I know." She paused. "I'm scared, Jethro."

He nodded, knowing the feeling very well. He was frightened himself, for her, for what could have happened and for what she was going through might do to her. "I know you are, Jen. But I won't let anything happen. I promise." She nodded, believing him, for the first time in a week feeling safe.