A/N: Hi Everyone! Thanks for the ages, I'll work them in. Anyways, I love this chapter, so here it is.
Jenna and I get in the elevator and ride to autopsy. "Who's Ducky?" Jenna asks me as the elevator doors open.
"That would be me. Doctor Donald Mallard, at your..." My favorite ME's voice stops. "Well, well, well, the legend returns, pleased to have you back, Jennifer."
I roll my eyes and start again. "This is not the Director, Ducky. This is Jenna Emily Straton, the new Probie on our team."
"My apologies, Jenna, is it?" Ducky sighs.
"Yeah, but why does everyone think I'm Vance? We look nothing alike!" She wonders aloud.
"It's not Vance we think you look like. Our former Director, Jenny Shepard, looks exactly like you." Ducky chuckles.
"Really?" She seems dumbstruck."Plus, you are the first redhead that Gibbs has kept. In the past 10 years, Vance has tried to give him 3 others, none of them stayed long." I point out.
"Really?" She repeats.
"Yeah, Gibbs has an, uh, reputation with redheads, so yeah." I trail off, not knowing what to say.
"Reputation?" She echoes.
Before I have a chance to respond, Gibbs walks in. Obviously not seeing us, he groans.
"Whatever it is, Jethro, I'm sure it can wait until I send Timothy, Jenna and Jimmy out." Ducky guesses.
Gibbs nods and we all leave. Quickly, I call Abby. "Hack the feed, Autopsy." I order.
We run up to her lab. When we get there, she's staring at her computer. "No-one said anything yet. Caff-Pow?" She offers one to us.
I accept, but Jenna doesn't. She only holds up her coffee cup.
Suddenly, Gibbs groans on the feed. "Duckman, it's Jen's doppelgänger. It's been 10 years, but she's still punishing me."
"I'm sorry, Jethro. You're going to have to deal with this one."
"It's been ten years. Jen's dead. I can't look at anyone, much less a redhead, without seeing her. It's Shannon all over again, but I could of saved her. I should of saved her. I am, I mean was, her partner after all." Gibbs groans.
"I know and I don't know why Vance gave you a redhead, especially that redhead. You have to deal, though. Jennifer's gone, she's not punishing you." The Scotsman pleads.
"Sure feels like it. All I can think about is the letter. It's sitting in my basement. I read it every night."
"Which one?" Ducky asks.
"The one she actually wrote. 'Dear Jethro' doesn't count. The 'Dear John' letter she left me on the plane from Paris." Gibbs snaps angrily, "I can't do this, Duck. I haven't dated anyone in 10 years. Every time I turn around, I only see her. This Probie isn't helping much."
"I'm sorry, Jethro. She's gone. It's not our fault you waited to tell her how you felt." Ducky looks at Gibbs sympathetically.
"Waited? That implies that I told her." Gibbs pointed out.
"You never told her? Jethro!" Ducky scolds him.
"What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Jen. I never really got over you. I'm in love with you and you hate me. Oh yeah, I'll have my case reports in by Monday.'?" Gibbs sulks, not caring about his confession to Ducky.
"Jethro, I'm sorry she's gone. Go make something out of that Probie you have. Then, if you can't stand NCIS, go to Mike." Ducky says remorsefully.
"I can't leave. Work's a distraction." Before Ducky can respond to that, Gibbs' phone rings. "Gibbs." He snaps angrily.
Since it was on speaker, we all could hear it. "Special Agent Gibbs, there's been a double homicide on 32nd street. One appears to be a Petty Officer. The other is unknown. Get to it!" Vance's voice echoes in the emptiness of Autopsy. Gibbs says, in normal volume, "Gear Up!"
"Jethro, they cannot hear you." Ducky says.
"Of course they can. Abby hacked the feed here." He explains.
We all look at each other. We're screwed. Gibbs is going to kill us. Abby quickly kills the feed and I look up at the others. "We're dead."
Tony nods gravely, then speaks up. "At least we should follow orders and gear up!" Tony suggests.
We quickly do and head out to the truck. Gibbs is waiting for us and he looks angrier than he did earlier. He throws the keys to Tony. I volunteer to ride in the ME van with Ducky and Palmer, so Jenna didn't have to ride in the back. The ride was uneventful, and since Ducky didn't let Palmer drive, we got there on time. After years of practice, his navigation skills haven't gotten any better. When we go there, Tony was nowhere to be seen and Jenna looked puzzled, but was canvasing. Gibbs was bent over a male petty officer, laying face down in a giant pool of blood. He handed the camera at me and I went to search for the second victim. Laying about 25 feet away, I found her. She was laying face-up in another pool of blood, just as big. When I saw her face, my world shattered. It was a very familiar female's face.
"Ziva?" I asked, my voice shaking, unsure who I was speaking to.
A/N: Call me evil, I don't care. I really do love this chapter. I am posting another update within a week, so don't get your panties in a twist, 'Kay? Thanks for reviewing, if you do. Bye for now! K
