Sorry for those, who are getting bored and have found the last couple of chapters as pointless, but as you'll found out in this chapter if you choose to read it, that it has an important part to the story, I hope you continue to read, there shouldn't be much left of this story anyway.

Chapter 16

Gibbs woke to the sound of beeping and the smell of bleach, he knew immediately he was in hospital.

Cringing because of the bright light after his eyes being closed after such a long time, "Welcome back agent Gibbs" an unfamiliar voice spoke to him as he tried to open his eyes.

"huh, Jen" Gibbs mumbled as his eyes were now fully open and he was trying to move.

"It's okay Mr Gibbs, she's okay" the voice assured her, Gibbs' eyes trained on the person who was talking to him, he was a tall man, dark brown floppy hair and glasses perched on the end of his nose "I'm Dr Todd Gelfand" he introduced himself.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked him, his memory still hazy on a few things.

"You went back into NCIS which was on fire to find Ms Shepard, when you got shot and then passed out because of smoke inhalation" Todd informed his patient, reading Jenny's statement off of the piece of paper attached to the clipboard in his hands. "We removed the bullet, it was more of a flesh wound, you should make a full recovery"

"And Jenny?" Gibbs asked, hoping that there was nothing wrong with her.

"She's fine, I'll get her if you feel up to it" Todd suggested, in truth the redhead hadn't left the hospital since she and Gibbs were brought in, having been found by a fireman.

"Yes, I want to see her" Gibbs assured the doctor, he needed to see for himself that they were okay.

Todd nodded before putting Gibbs' chart back at the end of his bed before walking out of the secluded room into the corridor.

Jenny sat in the waiting room, Tony and Abby sat with her, having gone home with Ducky last night while Jenny had been kept in hospital overnight and released this morning.

She still smelt of smoke and her hair was a mess, but she didn't care, she wanted to be there for Jethro, in case something happened, it was all her fault he was hurt anyway.

When the double doors to the waiting room opened her head shot up and she saw Dr Gelfand walk straight for her. "Has something happened?" she asked, her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest, she thought she might have an attack.

"He's fine, awake and asking for you" Gelfand told her with a smile.

"We can see him?" Abby asked from her place next to Jenny, she'd been almost as worried as her mother, Tony on the other hand was being uncharacteristically quiet, looking down at his converse shoes mostly.

"Yes you can, I'll take you to his room" Todd smiled at Abby, finding her very sweet, he then escorted the three down the corridor and they stopped outside Gibbs' hospital room "If you need anything then please just hit the button above his bed, the nurse will come and tell her to page me" he nodded to them before walking down the corridor.

Before Jenny could stop her Abby rushed into the room "Gibbbssss" the little girl almost wailed, launching herself at him "I was so worried, Ducky and Mummy told me you would be okay but I still thought that something was going to happen and I prayed that nothing would and you know what it didn't…" Abby began to ramble as she hugged Gibbs tight.

Gibbs hugged Abby back, running a hand over her black pigtails "It's okay Abby, I'm okay" he assured her in a soothing manner, he looked over her at Jenny, the redhead smiled at him, he noticed the black rings under her eyes and the soot on her cheek, the messiness of her hair with flecks of soot and dirt in them, she must not have been home the whole time he'd been out of it.

Abby then let go of Gibbs and went back to standing on the floor, at Jenny's side, meanwhile Tony still stood silently in the corner. "Hey Tony" Gibbs lifted up his hand in a sort of wave to the ten year old.

"Hi Gibbs, its good you're okay" Tony mumbled, looking down at the floor.

Gibbs saw that the little boy was holding back something but didn't want to pry, the boy would tell in time but also he didn't have the energy.

"Jen, are you okay?" Gibbs asked, reaching out for her.

Jenny was at his side quickly, her hand gripping his tightly, "I'm fine" she assured him "You shouldn't have come back in for me, that's what firemen our for not federal agents" she told him, her thumb running over his knuckles where there was a slight burn where he'd opened a door not realising it would be so hot.

He shook his head "I couldn't risk your life" he told her.

"But you risked your life, you could be dead, you're lucky it was just a flesh wound" Jenny countered, motioning to the bandage across his chest.

"We're both here now" Gibbs tried to change the topic from going to dark places, that he didn't want to go, Jenny smiled at him softly before reaching down and giving him a quick kiss on the lips, conscious that her kids were in the room.

Abby giggled, knowing that when adults kissed it meant they liked each other and she really wanted her mum and Gibbs to like each other, meanwhile Tony rolled his eyes and huffed, leaning against the wall.

A cough from the doorway made Jenny and Gibbs spring apart, they both turned to the door and found that a nurse stood in the doorway "Uh Ms Shepard there is a man asking for you at reception" she informed Jenny.

Jenny nodded before turning to her kids "You guys stay here and keep Gibbs company okay" she told them, pressing a kiss to all their foreheads even Gibbs' and then left the three people she loved most, alone.

Gibbs smiled at Abby and then looked at Tony, who was still leaning against the far wall scowling "Something wrong Tony?" Gibbs asked, wondering what was annoying the boy.

"Nothing" Tony grumbled, his hands going into the pocket of his jeans as he slouched more.

"There has to be something wrong Tony you've been like this for ages" Abby told him after a moment, he'd been in a mood for days now and the little girl was getting annoyed with his attitude.

"Oh shut up Abs" Tony growled at her.

"Tony don't talk to Abby like that" Gibbs told him sternly, Abby hadn't done anything so he didn't know why Tony had spoken to her like that.

"You shut up to" Tony yelled at Gibbs, "All this is your fault, my mum could have died because of you" he told him "And you're not my father you can't tell me what to do" the little boy continued, turning and walking out of the hospital room.

….

Jenny followed the nurse to the front desk and was surprised at who she saw casually leaning against the desk.

"Ed, what are you doing here?" she asked him making him turn to face her.

"I saw it on the news, are you okay?" he asked coming over to her and touching her cheek lightly with the back of his hand, something he used to do a lot before the break down of their marriage.

"I'm fine" she assured him, her green eyes meeting his hazel, that were so like Tony, every time she looked at her son she couldn't help but think of how he was almost a mini version of his father.

"Good, I mean when Tony called me, I knew I had to come and yeah…." He continued to ramble but Jenny cut him off.

"Tony called you?" She asked him, her voice full of shock and worry.

"Yeah" Ed shook his shoulders and looked at Jenny like she was mad.

"Why would he call you?" she asked him, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"I don't know, he said that you were here in the hospital and he and Abby needed me" Ed told her.

"Right" Jenny nodded "I should have thought of that" she added "Come on, there with Jethro at the moment" she told him.

"And Jethro's that guy you were with a couple of months back?" Ed asked and Jenny nodded "Well good for you" he told her, trying to not let her know how threatened he actually felt by it.

As they walked down the corridor Tony came running down, Jenny grabbed him by the shoulders before he could shove past them "Tony, sweetie what is wrong?" she asked him, pushing her hair out of his face.

"Nothing, I just want to go home" Tony yelled, almost stamping his feet.

"Hey bud, don't talk to your mum like that" Ed got Tony's attention.

The little boy turned to his dad and out of his mum's arms "Good you're here, can you take me home?" he asked him.

"Okay, sure, sure let's get Abby and see if she wants to go and I'll take you back to Gibbs'" Ed suggested.

"No I want to go home, your home" Tony told Ed, he didn't feel like Gibbs' house was home, it was Gibbs' house and after the man in question put his mums life at risk, could have ripped his family apart he really didn't want to be around him.

Jenny was hurt by his words, she thoughts they were doing good, that she Abby, Tony and Gibbs could be a family, that they were heading that way.

"Tony what's wrong?" Jenny asked.

"Gibbs could have got you killed, we shouldn't be around him" Tony told her, his voice sounding a little angry.

"Daddy" Abby said running out of Gibbs' room and into her father's arms, he held her close and kissed her on the head.

"Hey princess" Ed smiled at her "I'm gunna take you to my house, give your mum and Gibbs a break until they're feeling better, how does that sound?" he asked her.

"Okay" Abby went a little quiet, she'd wanted to help her mum nurse Gibbs back to health.

"You guys will be good for your dad" Jenny smiled at her children weakly before kissing them on the forehead before turning to Ed "Thanks Ed, I'll call later before the kids go to bed" she told him.

Ed nodded giving her a smile before carrying Abby and leading Tony down the corridor, Jenny went back into Gibbs' hospital room.

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked, his voice a little croaky.

"Ed came to get the kids, Tony called him because he wanted to go with him" Jenny explained as she walked over to Gibbs who sat up in the hospital bed, he motioned with his hand a place for Jenny to sit.

She perched on the edge of the bed "I don't know what came over him, he was so angry, I've never seen him like this" she told him, her voice sad.

Gibbs reached out for her and pulled her to him, making her lay down next to him, her head resting on his good side as he ran a hand up and down her back trying to comfort her "I love you Jen" he told per, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I love you Jethro" she replied, closing her eyes, the sleep she'd lost finally taking over.

"Everything's going to be okay" he assured her, closing his own eyes.

TBC…

Hope this is better than the last, like I said this is coming to a close soon.