A Christmas Gift

by Ncisali

for TVLadyBug

It was to be their first Christmas as a married couple, Jenny had spent the last few weeks thinking about what would be a suitable Christmas present for her husband Jethro. In the end, after much deliberation, she had come up with an idea and with the help of Ducky had made the purchase, which was now hidden in the spare room at the back of a cupboard.

Jenny was sitting on the sofa listening to the radio, checking and signing off case files, while Jethro was down stairs in the basement. Although he normally spent his spare time working on his boat, Jethro was, in fact, working on his Christmas present to Jenny, he was making her a jewellery box, the work was a little more intricate than he was used to but he was very pleased with the result. He had finished carving her initials on the lid and was now applying the third coating of varnish, it would be finished tomorrow. He had with Duck's help purchased an antique emerald and diamond necklace, which he would place in the box before wrapping it.

Jethro was smiling to himself as he tidied up his tools and walked up the stairs to find Jenny. He stood in the doorway of the lounge and looked at her for a few moments before speaking,

'Ready for bed?'

'More than ready,' Jenny replies as she puts the files away in her case.

As they prepare for bed, Jenny is chatting about Christmas, 'I'm looking forward to Christmas lunch at Ducky's, and he's promised a typical English Christmas dinner.'

'I'm looking forward to Christmas evening at home, with you, alone, just me and you,' Jethro replies as he leans towards Jenny to kiss her.

She returns the kiss while thinking of another Christmas present she can give Jethro.

The next day was Christmas Eve; Jethro's team did not have an active case but had been investigating an unsolved cold case, which they had reopened. Abby had been re-testing some of the forensic evidence and they had come up with a couple of new leads.

Jenny had allowed staff that were not on call or working on an active case to go home at lunchtime. She wandered down to the bullpen before she left the office herself to talk to Jethro,

'Why don't you let the team go home now, there's nothing that can't wait until we're back in the office.'

Jethro looked up, 'No, I just want to follow up this lead, we might be able to crack the case today, if it comes to nothing I'll send the team home.'

'Fine, I'm off now, I'll see you later,' Jenny replies.

At home, Jenny gets out the present she has chosen for Jethro from the spare room – it is an antique sword used by a marine non-commissioned officer in the 19th century- Ducky had been invaluable in tracking down the item.

Jenny wraps the present in it's box and places it under the tree they have put up in the lounge. She notices a present there already; she smiles to herself, as she has no idea how Jethro managed to place her present from him there without her noticing.

The other present she has for Jethro, she places in the bedroom, she hasn't wrapped it but she places it in her bedside cabinet with a grin on her face.

This evening she had invited Tony and Ziva to join them for dinner; McGee and Abby would be travelling home to their families. Jenny went downstairs to start the preparations before Jethro arrived home.

Meanwhile, Jethro was getting out of the sedan with Tony, walking towards the front door of a house where a witness that Jethro wanted to talk to again lived. He knocked on the front door but there was no answer, he knocked louder shouting,

'NCIS, can we talk', he turned slightly to motion to Tony, at the same time two shots rang out blasting through the door and hitting Jethro in the chest. Jethro falls backwards and Tony immediately withdraws his gun from his holster listening for sounds from inside the house and at the same time dragging Gibbs away from the entrance, out of the line of fire. Moments later Tony hears a third shot from inside the house and then silence, he takes out his phone calling for an ambulance and back up, and tries in vain to stop Jethro's bleeding.

'Boss, Boss, you gotta stay with me,' Tony is pleading with Gibbs to remain conscious while pressing down on the wounds.

Gibbs eyes are flickering but Tony is insistent, 'Boss, you gotta stay awake, don't close your eyes, Boss we're going to Ducky's tomorrow remember, you and Jenny and me and Ziva.'

At the mention of Jenny's name Jethro tries to talk to Tony but is unable to form a sentence, Tony catches just the one word 'Jen…'

Jethro is finding it difficult to breathe, Tony can hear his boss's breath coming in short shallow gasps, and Jethro loses consciousness just as the ambulance and McGee with Ziva arrive. The EMTs quickly assess Jethro hooking him up to oxygen before loading him in the ambulance. The technician works on stopping the bleeding as the ambulance speeds to the hospital.

Tony, McGee and Ziva carefully enter the house. They find just the one man inside who appears to have committed suicide. Tony indicates that Ziva and McGee should begin to process the crime scene before stepping outside, he knows he needs to phone Jenny right away and he rings her number on his cell.

'Tony' Jenny answers immediately

Tony hesitates for a moment and Jenny immediately gets that awful feeling that something is wrong.

'Tony…is Jethro…', Jenny cannot complete her question.

Tony answers quickly , 'He was shot, he's on his way to Bethesda, I'll get your driver to pick you up and take you there, I'm on my way there now.'

'How bad?' Jenny continues, her chest feels tight, she's in a panic she's scared and thinking the worst.

Tony picks up her distress but is not feeling too good himself, 'You know the boss, nothing hurts him.' He is trying to be positive but Jenny knows that because Tony is not giving any good news Jethro must be seriously injured.

'I can't lose him now Tony, not after everything, I need him.' Jenny is on the verge of tears, trying to hold herself together but knowing if she loses Jethro now her life will be over. She loves him more than she thought possible, he is her husband, lover, friend, colleague and soul mate.

'Your driver will be there soon.' Tony says into the phone while indicating to Ziva who has joined him outside that she should get Jenny's driver to Jenny right away. McGee is also outside and he is phoning Abby and Ducky knowing they will both want to go to the hospital.

'I'm going to the hospital', Tony says to his colleagues, getting into his car and driving away.

Jenny grabs her coat and handbag and walks outside to wait for her driver, he arrives almost immediately and she is soon on her way to the hospital.

Her one and only thought is 'Please don't die Jethro.' As she arrives at the hospital she runs to reception asking for details of her husband.

'He's in ER,' the nurse responds.

'I need to see him.' Jenny replies but just at that moment a doctor appears from ER. The nurse looks up at him, 'this is agent Gibbs wife.'

'Ah, how do you do Mrs Gibbs, we've just taken your husband into surgery.'

'How is he, is he going to be alright?'

'He's been seriously injured, we won't be able to give a proper prognosis until after the surgery.'

'But I want to know that he's going to be alright.' Jenny's voice is getting louder and it looks as if she is about to breakdown. The doctor gently takes her arm and leads her to a waiting room making sure that a nurse comes with him.

'Is there anyone who you'd like to call to be with you,' he asks. At that moment Tony with Abby and Ducky come in.

Jenny looks up at Ducky , 'they won't tell me anything Ducky.' Ducky squeezes her hand and then accompanies the Doctor out of the waiting room hoping that he will be able to get some information on Jethro 'doctor to doctor'.

The nurse has sat next to Jenny and is explaining that someone will keep her informed of Jethro's condition and as soon as he is out of surgery they will let her know.

Jenny is sat next to Abby, in shock, as Ducky re-enters the room. Tony has gone in search of coffees.

'What did he say Ducky?'

'Jethro is in a critical condition but he's remarkably fit for a man of his age and they hope that once he's through the operation he'll make a full recovery.' Ducky has not lied but he did not add that the doctor also said that Jethro only had a 50:50 chance of surviving the surgery.

McGee and Ziva have joined the team after processing the crime scene waiting for news of Jethro. The wait is a long one, Jenny can hear Christmas Carols being sang outside, she and Jethro had planned to go to midnight communion that evening but now her thoughts were only of Jethro. She was thinking not only of the things they had done together but also of the things they had planned to do, not just for this holiday period but also for the rest of their lives. She was offering prayers up to God, 'please let him live, he's a remarkable man, an exceptional agent, NCIS needs him, his team needs him, I need him, just please let him live.'

After four hours the surgeon comes in and tells the group that Jethro is out of surgery and in ICU. Jenny immediately stands up 'I want to see him.'

'Fine, not every one together though just two at a time and only for a few minutes.'

Jenny and Ducky walk together to the ICU as they enter the ward Jenny falters. Jethro looks lifeless, he is hooked up to many tubes and wires, she can hear the beep of the heart monitor. He is being ventilated, his chest is bare apart from the wires and tubes and the large dressing covering his wound. Jenny pulls up a chair and sits down nothing or no one is going to move her until Jethro wakes up. She touches his arm because his hand is attached to many tubes and leans forward to softly talk to him.

Ducky leaves after a few moments to report back to the team, they decide to stay the night in the waiting room.

All through the night Jenny talks to Jethro

'I love you Jethro, you know what I'd planned for tomorrow.

Something special.

I bought you a present to help us, not that you need much help.

I didn't wrap it, I put it in my bedside table.

As soon as you're better we can use it.

I love you Jethro.

Don't leave me.

Please get better.

You know what you wanted to do when we got back from Ducky's.

I have it all planned.

I love you.

I need you.

Remember that book of poems I read to you by Dylan Thomas, 'Rage, Rage against the dying of the light', you've got to fight, you've got to live.

I have honey dust for tomorrow and a feather to apply it.

I love you.

As Jenny talks to Jethro, she continually smoothes his brow and kisses his cheek, not once since she sat down on the chair did she stop touching him. The nurses have worked quietly checking his vital signs throughout the night.

She is still talking to him when the doctor comes in early on Christmas morning; he looks at the chart and talks to the nurses.

'Mrs Gibbs, your husband has had a very good night, we may be able to take him off the ventilator this afternoon if he continues to improve.'

Jenny is unable to say anything but just looks at her husband and kisses his brow, she whispers to him as she bows her head 'I love you Jethro.'

A short time later the rest of the team file in, the doctor has passed on the good news and although looking tired there is a sense of elation surrounding them.

Jenny was still sitting in the chair with her hand on Jethro's, she smiled as the team walked in.

'The doctor thinks they can remove him from the ventilator later today.'

Everyone decides to remain at the hospital through the day, knowing Jenny will not leave Jethro's side until he regains consciousness.

Ducky is sat on the other side of Jethro's bed and is talking to him telling him of one Christmas he'd spent in the highlands.

It was not until later that afternoon that Jenny felt Jethro's fingers move under hers,

'Jethro, Jethro, you're going to be fine,' Jenny is looking directly into Jethro's eyes when he wakes.

As Jethro opens his eyes he is looking straight at his wife and he sees her returning his gaze, he can't move or speak but at that moment he doesn't care the look his wife is giving him is a look he has seen before, a look he never wants to forget.'

Jenny looks into her husband's eyes, her breathing has quickened, the joy and relief she now feels is indescribable, what she sees in her husbands eyes she'd been scared she would never see again, his love for her is something she feels she can touch it is so strong.

The doctor interrupts them,

'Agent Gibbs I'm going to remove the tube now,'

Jethro reluctantly turns from his wife to look at the doctor, he prepares himself for the removal of the ventilation tube and soon the nasal cannula is fixed up by the nurse.

Jenny is gently squeezing his hand and he weakly returns her touch smiling at her. As soon as he is able, he says the words Jenny has been waiting to hear for the past 24 hours.

'I love you Jen.'

Jenny smiles back at him and lets the tears fall that she has been holding back these last few hours.

'Don't cry Jen, I'm not going anywhere', Jethro whispers.

Ducky had left the room a few minutes before to tell the team who are now all pouring into the room wishing their boss a 'Merry Christmas.'

Jenny is rather protective of Jethro and realising he is very tired, tells everyone to go home, as it looks like they wanted to stay for the duration to convince themselves that Jethro was really alive.

'You should go home as well Jenny,' Ducky says, 'Get a good nights sleep and return tomorrow.'

Jenny nods and sits down beside Jethro, his eyes are closed but after a few moments they flicker open.

'Jen, is it still Christmas?' Jethro asks

'Yes Jethro, for a few more hours'

'Did you open your present?'

'No, I wanted to wait until you were with me?'

'Why don't you bring the presents in tomorrow, we'll open them together.' Jethro knows Jenny loves Christmas and wants to see her face when she opens the present he has given her.

Jenny nods and watches over Jethro as he falls asleep.

A nurse comes in to check Jethro and talks to Jenny.

'He's sedated Mrs Gibbs and won't wake up until tomorrow morning why don't you go home.'

Jenny nods and gets up from her chair.

She doesn't go outside but walks to the hospital chapel. She enters the small room and thinks over the meaning of Christmas, a time when people give and receive. Jenny now thanks God for giving her the best Christmas present ever, her husband's life.

Jenny does not go home but returns to her husband's room, she does not want him to wake in the morning alone, she wants to be there for him, for always.