I don't own NCIS.

I firstly want to say I'm sorry about the wait. Also this one jumps around a bit as I wanted to get a bit of Gibbs in. Apologies for my grammar, I'm tired and frustrated so grammar wasn't my main priority, getting this up was. Hope its ok. JIBBS will be coming soon by the way. A few more chapters to go first. Thanks for keeping with me. Enjoy…

N.C.I.S. Head Quarters- Washington D.C.

The FBI wanted his case again. The blooming FBI wanted his flipping case again. Too make matters worse, their so called loyal Director had gone and given it to them, no questions asked! Well, he was going to give the director a piece of his mind. In he barged through Cynthia's door, not sparing the assistant a glance, and then into the office. Only his pretty, sophisticated, hard assed red head wasn't there. Instead, in her place sat the cocktail stick chewing man. So, out he stormed once more, banging the door behind him. But unusually, this time he stopped in front of Cynthia's desk.

There Cynthia sat, portraying a look which suggested she'd been waiting for this moment for all of eternity. Leroy Jethro Gibbs began giving the poor woman the famous 'Gibbs glare' before begging his demands.

"Where is she?"
"Agent Gibbs-"
"Where the hell is she Cynthia?"
"Director Shepard is out of the office." Stated the ever loyal assistant; in a hope to avoid the interrogation. Yet she knew all too well she was fighting a losing battle.
"She's been out of the office for days now Cynthia! Where the hell is she?"
"The director took some time off after the pair off you had your last argument."
"How long for?"
"Agent Gib-"
"If I have to take you down to interrogation I will, it's empty. Now, how long for Cynthia?"
"A month."

This isn't like Jen. You have to force her to even leave the office before 8pm. taking a month off is not like her. Why?

"Why?" questioned Gibbs.
"I really don't know Gibbs. All I know is that day she got a text message, then she went to a meeting with the SecNav, which had been in her diary for months. She came back, fought with you, informed me and told me to do the same before asking to see Agent DiNozzo. You want to know why? My best bet would be to ask him. When you qui…retired, he became a good friend to Jenny. You want answers? Go to him." Her voice had become mellow now. Gibbs knew she was slightly worried by the use of her first name. She wasn't the only worried one though.

With that Gibbs began to walk out. But before he closed the door behind him he turned to the young assistant. "Thank you." He said truthfully. But he just received a sad smile. But that sad smile spoke so many volumes to him, it was a smile he'd seen all too many times over the years. Then his thoughts turned back to what she had said. Why is everyone telling me to speak to DiNozzo? First Ducky now Cynthia, what the hell will he know?

N~C~I~S

Jennifer Shepard came down the stairs of her mother's house with a smile on her face. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled her nostrils as she entered the kitchen where she saw her mum.

"Hey Jen, coffee?" questioned the older red head.
"God yeah!" replied Jenny accepting the hot mug.
"You look good." Observed her mum as she as admired her daughter.

Jenny's long red hair was loose and natural. She wore a white fitted blouse with three quarter sleeves, along with perfectly fitting boot cut jeans, black stilettoes and a bundle of wooden bangles around her wrist.

"So missy, where you going today?"
"You haven't called me missy in donkey's years."
"Where?" questioned her mother.
"I'm off to a dress shop to drop in on Ally. A little birdy told me she'd be in there." He mum gave her a quizzical look. "I'm not director of a federal agency for no reason mum!"
"I didn't think you where dear. Does she know you'll be there?"
"No, it's a surprise."
"Well I'm sure she'll be over the moon to see you. Great full too, you always styled her as a child. From Christmas parties to her first date, I used to answer the phone and it'd be,' hello Mrs Shepard, would Jen be able to come over I have nothing to wear'" the two women laughed.
"Well she did need me. Some of the outfits she came up with when I wasn't there where awful! There again, I suppose looking back, mine weren't much an improvement either. "This once more had the two Shepard women laughing, and before long more reminiscing began.

N~C~I~S

An hour and a half later, Jenny Shepard was walking down the high-street she had once known so well. Once upon a time she could recite every one of the shops that lined the cobbled street. Every Saturday her and Ally had walked down here, whether it be to go shopping, or to the park down the road. Over a decade later she once more walked down that same street. Not much had changed in all the years that had passed; still the small dressmakers and clothes shops stood proud on the street, most likely with the same women working there. Now though, a few chain stores had been dotted in between. Most importantly, still in the middle of the street sat the wedding shop she'd spent hours gazing into as a child, the shop she'd gotten her brides maids dress for her aunt's wedding from, the shop she'd planned her whole wedding from the outside of.

Jenny looked into the shop to see the woman she'd spent her childhood with hopelessly looking through the racks of dresses, obviously stress. Sat on the worn red velvet chair in the corner sat an older woman who throughout Jenny's childhood had been a second mother to her. Jen had near enough lived at her house, from the cold winters days filled with snowball fights and hot chocolate as a little girl, to the boiling summer's days as a teenager when she'd sit sunbathing with Ally in the back garden.

Jenny stood nearer the door and could distinctly hear the two women inside. "I don't know what to go for; I mean I'm useless at this part. Jenny was always the fashion goddess not me!" moaned Ally. Her long dark hair fell against her back. The full fringe framed her chocolate brown eyes perfectly, and her low rise jeans and green scoop neck t-shirt showed off her curves perfectly.
"Well how about something big, fairy-tale like." questioned the older woman.

Ally was a splitting image of her mother, Mary-Anne. Time seemed to have stopped for this woman's appearance. Still her dark brown hair was bobbed, with a slight side fringe. Her brown eyes still had that glint to them, while her clothing style hadn't changed; still she wore dark blue jeans, with a fitted blouse and blazer, along with them heals. Mary-Anne was where Jenny's love for heals as a child had originated. She'd always been fascinated by how they gave women so much confidence along with height.

"Errrhhhh. I don't know why I'm even trying!" said a frustrated Ally.

At this point Jenny made her entrance. The sound of the bell on the door brought the two women's attention to Jenny. "You are trying because you about to marry the love of your life Allison McCartney." Jenny said with a smile.

Before she had time to gain her baring's Jenny was enveloped in a huge hug which would compete with even Abby's. The smile on Ally and Mary's faces was enough for Jenny to know she had done something right by coming back for the wedding. Now all that was left to do was sort out this dress…

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