Agent Jethro Gibbs and his team sat at their desks in the bullpen finishing up paperwork on their latest case. It had been two weeks since Director Vance had told them all about Jenny, each and every member of the team had been speechless. Vance had gone on to tell them how Jenny had not in fact died in the diner as everyone had thought. He told them how the ambulance drivers had detected a faint pulse that Mike, Tony and Ziva had all missed in their shock and grief. Sec Nav decided to let everyone think she had died for her own safety and sent another body from the L.A morgue, one who could pass for Jenny if you weren't familiar with her. Ducky had then informed the team that he had not done the autopsy on Jenny per Vance's orders and had been relieved to not have to autopsy his dear friend. Abby had been in tears and barely registered Director Vance telling them how Jenny had been transported to Germany after being stabilized from the gunshot wounds. Ziva in a daze heard Leon go on to say that a team of neurologist had performed surgery to remove the tumor from Jenny's brain and Gibbs through the haze of shock and disbelief listened to Vance speak, telling them about Jenny, his Jenny the woman he thought he had lost forever. He heard Leon say something about a coma, seventeen weeks in a coma. Words like partial memory loss, physical therapy, and problems concentrating. Eight months in a rehab facility. She had been alone through this Hell, shot three times and undergone brain surgery and still she survived and persevered. Gibbs had spent the last two weeks wondering where Jen was now, Vance had said she would be returning to work after some time off and the Sec Nav had held a press conference and informed the media that Jennifer Shepard had not died in the house fire as had been previously reported but had been in protective custody after an attempt on her life.
"Boss" Tony practically shouted across the bullpen. "Dinozzo, what the hell are you yelling for?" Gibbs replied. At this time Abby and Ducky rounded the corner into the bullpen. "Boss, a friend of a friend who is friends with Willy down at the gate just called and told me that Director Shepard, er I mean Jenny just entered the building" Abby squealed and started bouncing up and down as Ziva and McGee both rose from their desks and everyone was speaking at the same time. Everyone except Gibbs who had his eyes on the main elevator , he did not realize he was holding his breath until the elevator doors opened on the Directors floor and what seemed like suspended animation Jenny Shepard gracefully stepped out of the lift and walked toward the directors office. Jethro was transfixed by the sight of Jenny dressed casually in tight jeans a white cotton blouse and black boots topped off with a black leather jacket. Her hair was longer than he ever remembered it being , worn loose down her back and the same rich color of red it was when he first met her thirteen years ago. At forty three Jennifer Shepard was still an amazingly beautiful woman, her body was better than some women half her age. "Boss, Boss" Dinozzo was tapping him on the shoulder and Gibbs thought at that moment that he had permanently lost the ability to speak, his mouth was dry and his pulse was racing and much to his embarassment he felt his body start to respond to the sight of Jenny who having felt his eyes on her had turned and that's when he saw her eyes, bright green and sparkling with amusement and something else he couldn't quite place. Abby's squeals brought Jethro out of his trance and he watched as she shot out of the bullpen and was halfway up the steps followed by Ducky, Tony, Ziva and McGee. Jenny herself was watching Jethro, lost in his beautiful blue eyes when Abby grabbed her and enveloped her in the tightest hug she had ever experienced "Oh Jenny we thought you were dead, did I ever tell you that you are a very classy dresser? Even though right now you have on jeans, wow I have never seen you wear jeans before, where have you been?, why didn't you call us after the Sec Nav had his press conference? It's been two weeks, I have so much to tell you, we have all missed you Jenny especially Gibbs" Jenny felt herself gasping for air trying to keep up with Abbys over excited welcome home speech "Abby, Abby I can't breathe" Jenny gasped as Abby let go of her and stood back as Jenny touched her cheek and spoke"Oh I love you Abby, never change" Ducky with tears in his eyes enveloped his dear friend in an uncharacteristic hug "Jennifer, welcome home dear" Jenny was touched by the genuine emotion on her old friends face "Oh Ducky it is so good to see you, I am sorry if I caused you any pain" Jenny had a trail of tears running down her cheeks by the time Ziva and Tony both grabbed her at the same Ziva was speaking softly to her in Hebrew "I have missed you Jenny, I am so sorry I failed you in L.A." Looking into her Isreali friends eyes Jenny softly replied "You didn't fail me Ziva, I was given a second chance and I don't intend to waste it" Jenny turned and kissed Tony on the cheek and wiped the single tear from his cheek and started down the stairs stopping to hug McGee "You are a very good agent Tim" McGee smiled at Jenny proud that she of all people thought he was a good agent.
Jethro watched Jenny slowly make her way down the stairs stopping to speak to each and everyone of the people assembled around her. He slowly walked over to the stairs and watched her descend almost hesitantly he started up towards her and reached out wiping the tears from her beautiful face and using his other hand grabbing her waist and pulling her off her feet towards him and crushed his lips to hers slowly savoring her mouth for the first time in eleven years.
Tony couldn't believe his eyes, after all the years and all the bets he was watching his boss and his former boss standing on the landing of the stairs kissing, not just some regular chaste kiss but a very hot kiss he was pretty sure involved tongue. Abby pulled out her cell phone, she had to get this recorded Gibbs was holding Jenny in his arms and she now had her long legs wrapped around his waist. Ducky couldn't quite make out what his two dear friends were softly saying to each other now but he could make out the lone tear that travelled down Jethros cheek as he held Jennifer tighter than Abby ever attempted and whispered into her ear, Jenny kissed Jethro on his neck and whispered back to him when suddenly her feet were on the floor again and she was being practically dragged to the elevator by Gibbs. The team stood on the stairs and watched the couple kiss again as the elevator doors slowly shut...
More to come, next we find out why Jenny didn't contact Jethro and the team and what are her plans now that she is back in D.C.