Title: The Key

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS in any way shape or form. I only wish I did.

Spoilers: Spoilers Through "Silent Night"

For Dr. JulietBurke, Happy Holidays my dear!


"Gibbs! I don't understand what it was that I did that was so bad!" Abby protested following her silver foxed boss to his desk where the team was working and looked up.

"You interfered directly in my investigation!" Gibbs snapped. "And you young lady are grounded to your lab!"

"Gibbs you just told me that I redeemed myself!"

"I said maybe redeemed yourself," Gibbs corrected sternly.

"I did what..." Abby trailed off looking over her Boss' desk. "What's that?" She asked pointing to the small box." Gibbs glanced down at his desk to find the box that had grasped Abby's attention.

"Uh boss, it was delivered by courier," Tony piped up. "'Bout twenty minutes ago."

"We did not see them," Ziva added.

"McGee?"

"They didn't say who it was from Boss, I could find out where its from."

"Do that," Gibbs ordered. He opened the box and found a black velvet jewelry box inside.

"Oh, nice Boss," Tony whistled. Gibbs glared at him and opened the jewelry box to find something rather unexpected, a key. Not just any key it was normal enough in appearance, but attached to the key was a thin red ribbon. He searched the box for a note, something to give him a sign to who it was from.

"Gibbs we..." Ziva began. "Uh Sorry Gibbs."

"What?"

"We have some information." Gibbs put the box on the desk again and followed Tony and Ziva to the interrogation rooms. He was back moments later.

"Boss you coming back for the movie?"

"Start without me," Gibbs ordered. He left taking the box with him. He dropped of Quinn at his daughter's house and after watching the reunion from the car he drove to his house. As he walked up to his front door a thought occurred to him and he took the key out he tried it in the lock to his front door. Nothing. He decided to turn back and head to NCIS, maybe he could find something there. He drove quickly back to NCIS and tried the keys elsewhere. He tried first the doors to the squad room, then the desks of his team and the cabinets nearby. There was no click.

"Agent Gibbs," Cynthia's hesitant voice interrupted his frustration.

"Cynthia?"

"Uh...Abby sent me to see if you'd come yet, the movie is almost over, but she said you...." She trailed off and he noticed her eyes divert to the key on the red ribbon.

"She said?"

"I'm sorry Agent Gibbs, uh may I ask where you got that," She inquired pointing to the key.

"A gift if you really have to know."

"From...Jenny?" Cynthia asked quietly.

"No."

"Oh, cause...well never mind," Cynthia finished turning up the stairs.

"You've seen a key like this?"

"It uh...opens a drawer in the Director's office."

"Does it?" Gibbs moved past her and up the stairs. He walked past MTAC into the Director's office, Cynthia on his heels.

"This is Director Vance's office now you just can't..."

"Cynthia if I have the key, would Vance have the key?"

"No..."

"Which means that he has something he wants hidden."

"But..." Cynthia sighed and she turned away to sit down. Gibbs turned to the desk, it hadn't changed, Vance hadn't gotten around to getting a new one. This was the same desk that Jenny had sat at just six months ago. The desk she spent all last Christmas behind, as opposed to Vance who just upped and left. Gibbs sighed, he had seen the difference in the running of NCIS immediately but he figured it was just something more he would have to get to used too.

He moved toward it checking all the drawers to make sure they weren't locked. He opened the drawer where Jenny had once kept her gun and badge to find some papers that related to nothing of importance. Whereas Jenny had taken pride in her agent skills Vance was more politician then agent. Gibbs moved to the other drawers but the key did not fit. This is getting annoying.

"Cynthia!" Gibbs called. The young woman appeared instantly.

"Agent Gibbs?"

"What drawer did Jenny keep her personal stuff in?" Gibbs inquired.

"I already boxed everything and gave it to you."

"Which drawer?" Cynthia sighed and moved to the drawer at the right side of the desk. She tried to open it. "That's just the design, there's no drawer there."

"Well six months ago there was," Cynthia assured. Gibbs studied the desk and found a notch in the side. "Key hole," Cynthia pointed out.

"And we have a key," Gibbs said. He slid the key into the notch and turned, it clicked and Gibbs watched the drawer pop open. "She always did love secrets."

"She was always pretty," Cynthia sighed pulling out the photographs. Gibbs glanced at them not saying anything but watching as Cynthia went through them. He noticed himself in a few of them and knew Cynthia respected Jenny to much to mention or inquire. Under the photographs Gibbs noticed another box.

"And what do we have here?" Gibbs pulled the box out.

"There's a Polaroid attached," Cynthia informed pulling it out. "Beautiful house." Gibbs opened the box and found another key. "Keys to the house?" Gibbs glanced over at the photo Cynthia held.

"I've been there," Gibbs gasped.

"Well...if someone sent you the key, maybe its related to the house," Cynthia suggested. "Where was it?"

"I...I don't remember,"

"What?"

"It was Jenny's surprise, she drove...and..."

"And I'm not asking more," Cynthia smiled.

"Gibbs!" Abby's squealing voice interrupted their silent battle.

"Abs."

"We thought you weren't coming Boss," Tony said.

"McGee!"

"Boss?"

"You can find anything right?"

"Uh Boss?" Gibbs shoved the photograph of the house.

"Find it now, Ziva, we need to talk," Gibbs ordered. He showed everyone out of the office and sat Ziva down at the desk.

"Gibbs?"

"You still have contacts don't you?"

"Yes."

"Contacts that would have informed you if you friend and employer had a hit out on them."

"It's not that likely that anyone would..."

"Officer David, I don't appreciate being lied to," Gibbs snapped.

"I haven't lied! Gibbs you know me why would I..."

"Where is she?" Gibbs demanded slamming his fist on the table.

"Who?"

"Ziva..."

"Boss she doesn't know," Tony answered stepping into the office. "Neither of us do, she was dying, she...she is dead boss, we just don't have her body."

"So who did we bury?"

"Empty casket, Vance...doesn't know."

"Why?"

"Uh...we're not sure, she told us to?"

"She told you to...she told you..."

"I'm sorry Gibbs," Ziva said quietly. "She wasn't going to live even with medical attention."

"You two I'll deal with later."

"She is dead Boss," Tony asserted. "That's not going to change."

"DiNozzo!"

"Boss!" McGee rushed in.

"What?"

"We found the house, here's the address and..." Gibbs swiped the piece of paper and stormed out. "Okay..."

"McGee get the car," Tony snapped. "Ziva get your gun."

"I'm coming," Cynthia informed. No one disagreed.

Gibbs drove the car at top speeds down the road and pulled into the old driveway. He couldn't see through his anger at his team, at Jenny, at who ever left the damn key. He couldn't see what might be possible without a swell of anger and there was still the mystery of who left the key. Someone obviously wanted him to know the truth and the only person he could think of was the victim herself. He pulled into the driveway and sat for a minute. Whatever lay in that house, he knew he wanted more than anything. If all he got for Christmas was the knowledge that she was safe, it was worth any horror, maybe not any horror. I've had enough misery. He grabbed the two keys and got out of the car. He approached the front door and took a deep breath and inserted the key. It clicked.

He entered the house and checked around. It appeared lived in. The oven was on, smells of apple pie creating a peaceful aroma that Gibbs tried not to relax into. He was frustrated that this is all he'd gotten. A pie, for all the guilt and emotions that had been dragged up by this simple gift, he got a pie. It hardly seemed worth it. He heard the back door opened and his hand went to his gun. A familiar German Sheprad walked into the room and tensed slowly but simply moved over to his water bowl. Odd, attack dog, doesn't attack. He moved to the back door to find the snow coming down and a figure brushing it off her jacket. His breath caught.

"Jen."

"Jethro! I've been expecting you, glad to see you got my Christmas present," she answered as if this were an everyday occurrence. "You are a bit later than I was expecting, I'll reheat dinner, but dessert should be ready soon." She moved past him to get into the kitchen but he caught her arm and stopped her.

"Jenny..." he sighed just starring at her.

"Hm?"

"You're dead."

"Well, not literally, I mean technically yes but that was just McGee's doing I mean..." Jen paused. "He didn't tell you?"

"Boss! Where are you?" Tony's voice echoed from the front area and moved closer as suddenly the team surrounded them.

"MCGEE! You've got explaining to do." Jenny snapped. The young man stepped forward. "You didn't tell them?"

"I tried! Gibbs...hasn't quite been himself lately," McGee defended. At this, Abby launched herself from behind Ziva at the redhead.

"We've missed you!" Abby exclaimed hugging her tightly. Ziva and Tony backed away slowly.

"You two... I owe you," Jenny said. "As for you," She turned to McGee. "You were trying to do what I did, there's nothing wrong in that," Jenny praised. Her hand landed on Gibbs shoulder and she squeezed. "You and I are going for a walk." She pulled him toward the door. "Oh Abby, the dog is in the kitchen, McGee let me watch him."

"Jethro's here!" Abby squealed and went to find her four legged companion. Jenny smiled sweetly as she led Jethro out into the snow flurries.

"So I'm guessing you have questions." Her tone had reverted to the Director tone he heard so often and missed lately.

"No...just one."

"That would be?" He grabbed her by her shoulder and held her in place.

"Why?"

"I thought I was dead," she answered. "You'd already been told I was dead. McGee evidently made the decision that you weren't in the right frame of mind to hear that it wasn't permanent."

"Death is permanent Jen."

"I know, I...wasn't going to tell you but...we have a little bit of a problem."

"We?"

"There's really no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just..." She unbuttoned her coat.

"You're going to freeze," he scolded reaching around her to pull her flush with his body. He jumped back immediately noticing the difference in her figure. "Jen..."

"Uh...surprise," she tried weakly. Jethro reached out with one hand and traced down the center of her body feeling the swelling over her abdomen.

"You're...You're pregnant."

"You remember the fight we had after Fornell left..."

"It didn't finish in your office, I went over to your house to...I don't remember what I was doing."

"You know you were going to yell at me for doing what I did, you just didn't get the chance. I was...emotional and we...got carried away."

"It was a long time coming."

"Maybe so, still doesn't explain why you weren't there in the morning."

"I didn't think you'd want me there."

"Bullshit," she accused before dropping her head. "It doesn't matter. Apparently we got too carried away, I never even..."

"You didn't tell me."

"I didn't know! I found out Decker was dead, went to LA, got shot, everyone thought I was dead. I only found a few weeks later when I went to get the stitches out!"

"And..."

"And then I contacted McGee, I couldn't get ahold of Tony or Ziva and I was afraid Abby would tell you immediately. I hid the pregnancy from him, but...I can't hide this anymore, I'm due in a little under three months, it's a girl," she explained before heaving a deep sigh. "I'm sorry Jethro."

"Don't be sorry, you...protected our child."

"I...thought you would want to know...even if it meant I was resurrected, I think I would've told you had things turned out differently, so I'm telling you now." She paused. "Merry Christmas," she added as an afterthought. He was shocked silent and swallowed a few times before deciding that explanations did not matter. Apparently his descision making was taking to long in her book though, Jenny had feared the worst and started to move back into the house, completely distraught. Jethro caught her arm and pulled her flush aganist him again.

"None of it matters," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her hugging her tight to him. His mouth close to her ear so he could whisper. "You're alive, you're here, that's more than anything I could ever want. You're going to have our baby, that's just icing on the cake. Nothing else is important."

"Jethro if this is just about the baby..."

"No. No, its not just about the baby, its about the woman carrying this baby, you. I missed you Jen." Her eyes welled up with tears at this. "Hey...no tears."

"I...can't help," she sobbed. "Damn hormones."

"This I can help with him," he sounded awfully proud of himself, before toning it down. "Just promise me, you won't do this vanishing act again. I can't bury you again."

"I promise."

"Good." He turned her back toward the house and they began to walk back spying the team watchcing from the windows. "Oh Jen, one more thing."

"Hm?"

"I love you." To that she simply wound her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

On the deck watching the whole scene was the team grateful, and happy that for once there was a happily ever after.

"I think it best if we went in now," Ducky said finally as the kiss they were watching moved out of the G realm. There were some quiet protests but they all moved. "Now, now...off you children go." Ducky watched as they moved to find rooms to sleep in before turning back to the couple embracing in the new fallen snow and in the distance could swear he heard a jolly laugh.

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.