A/N: Ah, so, yeah, it's been almost a month. Sorry! Life is way hectic at the moment; it's like school and marching band are trying to keep me from writing! I'm warning you now, updates will be very slow for a time while I get adjusted to junior year and marching band takes up less time. Your patience is very much appreciated :) Also, a thank you to my reviewers; itzcheeseball, LadyJibbs, hermosagirl3, Jethro's Jen, Levana Fay, jstapny, and JayVeronica, I would just like to just say thank you so much! :)

(Who else watched the premiere? And who else thought it was awesome? I absolutely loved the father/son moments between Gibbs and Jackson! Of course, I miss Jenny lots, but for another Jenny-free season, it was pretty good, although the fact that the Tiva was nonexistent was upsetting. Hopefully next episode!)

Jenny looked up at Jethro in confusion, the pacifier in her hand. Questions filled her head, and her heart started to pound faster in her chest. She truly hoped this didn't mean what she thought it might.

"Jethro, what…"

"Do you remember what you asked a few nights again, and I wasn't as supportive as I should have been?" Jethro asked, coming over and placing his hands on her arms, fingers stroking softly.

Jenny swallowed hard; they were straying into dangerous territory. She had no idea what the hell he was talking about. How could she? She dropped her gaze, appearing to suddenly be interested in the carpet pattern. Jethro sighed quietly, and she felt his warm hand come up to her chin, tilting it towards him so that she had to meet his deep blue gaze.

"Jenny, I know you want another baby. And when you told me, I wasn't expecting it, and I came off sounding like I didn't want another one. But I do Jen, so much. I just…I keep thinking about what happened with Liam…and Jen I can't lose you. Those three days you were in a coma were pure torture for me. What would I have done if I'd lost you? I'd already lost Shannon and Kelly…how could I survive losing you too? And Liam- how would I have coped with losing my only son?" Jethro said, and Jenny felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes when she saw the love and passion he had in his eyes when he spoke. "Jenny, I do want to have another baby. And I'm sorry if my insecurity has hurt you at all. I just want you to be safe."

A tear rolled down Jenny's cheek, and her heart stopped when Jethro's fingers brushed against her skin, wiping it away.

This Jenny wanted another baby. How could she make a decision like that? How could she rightfully answer him, when she wasn't this Jenny?

She tilted her head up, meeting his gaze. Taking a deep breath, she brought her free hand up to cup his face.

"Are you sure?" she whispered, searching his eyes for any hesitation.

"Jenny, I want another baby just as much as I wanted Allie and Liam." Jethro said softly, stroking a hand through her hair. Jenny looked at him for a few more moments before setting the pacifier down on the bedside table and then letting him wrap her back up in his arms. Resting her head on his chest, she wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes when she answered.

"Please."

If this Jenny loved Jethro as much as she did, and if she was as happy in this life as she appeared to be, then maybe a baby was something that would only increase this family's happiness. She assumed she wasn't staying long; she knew that it wasn't like she'd be pregnant. And anyway she knew from the calendar that there was no chance of a pregnancy for at least three weeks, so she wasn't worried.

All she had to do now was let herself enjoy making love with Jethro; because she was well aware that the chances of it ever happening again were slim to none.

Jethro seemed to understand her plea, and he picked her up gently, carrying her to the bed, flicking the light off.

And so the night for them began.

Gibbs watched his wife sleep the next morning, having shut off the alarm moments ago so that she wouldn't wake up.

Her reaction to the pacifier had been, well, it hadn't been what he'd been expecting, to be honest. He'd expected her to pick it up and say something about how they had fifteen plastic ones in Liam's nursery, and remind him that their son preferred his thumb anyway. Instead, she'd looked confused…and sad.

But he knew that she wanted a baby more than she'd let on, and he knew that he'd hurt her more than she'd let on. He liked to think that he'd made up for it, but he also knew he had a long road in front of him before things were back to normal.

Sighing, he stroked Jenny's hair, smiling softly when she turned into his warmth. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, when she was sleeping. He was reminded once again of how much he loved her, and how much she meant to him.

He often wondered what his life would be like without her. He knew he wouldn't be happy, that much was true. He knew that finding someone like her happened once in a blue moon, and he would forever be grateful that he'd met her, and that he hadn't let her go.

In all honesty, now he wanted Jenny to be pregnant; he wanted her to be as happy and as energized as she had been when she'd been pregnant with Allie and Liam. He knew that there were always risks, and that there were would always be a threat to her. He couldn't always protect her from everything, and he needed to remember that she was his wife, not a child.

Kissing her forehead gently, he slipped out of bed, groaning quietly when he stretched his back, bones cracking and popping when he moved. Taking one last look at her, he headed into the bathroom, getting ready for yet another day of paperwork.

Jenny woke up slowly, sighing as she took in her surroundings.

Her eyes widened when she realized she was still in the house that she lived in with Jethro, and when she discovered the rings once again present on her finger. While the thought made her smile, she almost wished she was back in her other life. This life had broken her heart more than she thought possible, and she was ready to go back to her other life. At least there, she could bury herself in work, and she didn't feel the pain quite as much.

Sighing, she pushed herself off the bed, heading into the bathroom to shower before she got Allie and Liam up. As she shampooed her hair, she thought back to the night before. It had been wonderful, yes, but bittersweet at the same time. She knew that Jethro loved and cherished her, and his actions had reciprocated that, but she knew that all the tenderness wasn't meant for her.

Getting out, she dried off quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans and a black sweater before heading into Allie's room, smiling when she found the little girl sitting up in bed, rubbing at her bleary blue eyes with her fist.

"Good morning Allie." Jenny said, going over to the little girl and kissing her forehead.

"M..morning Mommy." Allison said, her words warbled with a yawn.

"Did you sleep good last night?" Jenny asked, opening the pink curtains, letting the sunlight stream in.

"Yes, I did. I had a dream about my birthday!" Allison said, suddenly wide awake. Jenny laughed, shaking her head.

"I'll bet it was a very good dream then. I'm going to get your brother, and I thought maybe we could go out to breakfast before school. What do you think?" Jenny asked, looking down at the little girl.

"That sounds fun Mommy!" Allison said, grinning. "Can I wear a dress Mommy?"

"Sure sweetie. Wear tights too." Jenny said, noting the frost on the glass of the window.

"Okay Mommy." Allison said, sliding out of bed. Jenny watched her for a moment before leaving the room, heading towards Liam's nursery. Walking into the room, she flicked on the light, going over to the crib. Leaning over the railing, she stroked Liam's hair, speaking softly.

"Liam, baby, it's time to get up sweetheart." she said, kissing his forehead. He stirred, moving towards her voice. "I know, it's tough honey but you've gotta wake up baby."

Liam blinked his eyes open, sleep glazing the aquamarine irises. Jenny smiled, stroking his hair. He sat up slowly, raising his arms so that Jenny could pick him up. She cradled him in her arms, rocking him gently as she kissed the top of his head.

"Good morning sweetheart." Jenny said, rubbing his back. He snuggled into her warmth, sighing quietly.

"Momma." he sighed happily, burying his face into her neck.

"That's get you changed and dressed hm, so that we can go get some breakfast, alright?" Jenny said, bringing him over to the changing table. After changing his diaper and dressing him in a pair of pants and a shirt, she checked in on Allie, who was pulling on a pair of white tights under a red and white striped dress. Going downstairs, she put shoes on Liam and herself and grabbed coats for both of them.

Walking into the kitchen after setting Liam up with a cartoon, she found the mug next to the coffee machine with a post-it attached, a simple heart with the letter J on it. She let a smile cross her face, let her stomach warm with love as she filled the mug with the warm brown liquid. It touched her, the small gesture on Jethro's behalf.

Walking back into the living room where Allison had joined her brother, Jenny sighed, the warm feeling growing. She knew she shouldn't be as attached as she was, seeing as how this wouldn't last, but she simply couldn't help it.

"Are you two ready to go?" she asked, looking at the two children.

"Yes Mommy!" Allison said, grinning, and Liam giggled, clapping his hands.

"Well then let's head out, shall we?" Jenny asked with a smile, laughing when Allison scrambled up. She scooped Liam up, resting him on her hip before following Allison outside, grabbing her purse and the car keys. It looked like today was going to be a good day.

The rest of the day passed without too much excitement. Jethro called Jenny at about one o'clock, saying they'd gotten a case and that he didn't expect to be home in time for dinner. Allison, of course, was disappointed when she heard that Daddy wouldn't be home. She moped through dinner and writing her letters, and wouldn't even let Jenny help her get ready for bed. Jenny sat on the edge of her bed, stroking her hair and singing an old nursery rhyme her mother had sung to her when she was a little girl. Allison soon drifted off, and Jenny was faced with the task of getting an inconsolable toddler to bed.

Liam was sitting up in his crib crying, shaking his head when he saw her.

"Dadda! No Momma, want Dadda!" Liam cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. Jenny's heart broke and she picked him up, cradling the hysterical little boy to her chest. She rocked him as he sobbed, feeling close to tears herself. Eventually, he cried himself to sleep, and Jenny put him in his crib, exhausted. She had no idea how the other Jenny dealt with that; Jethro often got called away, and wasn't home for days at a time. How did she deal with Liam and Allison's disappointment? And more importantly, how did Jethro?

Sighing, she walked into the bedroom, changing from her jeans and sweater to a pair of comfy sweatpants and Jethro's old USMC sweatshirt, his scent surrounding her as she walked back downstairs. She brought a mug of hot tea into the living room, settling on the couch as she flicked on the television. She was content to wait Jethro out; she simply wanted to see him.

Picking some crime drama, she snuggled deeper into the cushions, her mug of tea warming her chilly hands. She attempted to lose herself in the storyline of the show, but her mind was on Jethro. She missed him, more than she could imagine. What was going to happen when she returned to her other life? She saw him in the office, that was it.

She needed to fix her relationship with him, as soon as possible. She missed him, and she loved him, and she wanted him to come back into her life, not as a subordinate, but as her lover, her companion- as the man who she'd fallen in love with in Europe.

She placed her cup on the table, sighing quietly. She just wanted to go home; she loved this life, she did, but this wasn't her life. Her life had much more mistakes and regrets, and she was not as surrounded by family and friends as she was here. But it was her life, through and through.

She pushed herself off of the couch, turning off the television and grabbing her mug. After rinsing it and placing it on the drying rack, she climbed the stairs to the bedroom. First, though, she stopped in both Allison and Liam's rooms, kissing their foreheads and just studying them for a while, imprinting them in her mind, as she knew instinctively that she'd never see them again. She told each of them that she loved them, closing her eyes when the tears came rushing forward.

Slipping in between the covers of the bed she had shared with Jethro, she relaxed her body as much as possible, trying to let sleep come to her. It evaded her, however, leaving her tossing and turning. Around midnight, she heard footsteps on the stairs, and tensed, unsure of who it was. After a few minutes, Jethro walked into the bedroom, looking exhausted and drained. As tired as he appeared, it looked like he had gone in to check on both Allie and Liam before coming into the bedroom, which touched Jenny immensely, and showed her how much he truly cared about his children.

He striped down to his boxers and then slid into bed next to her, slipping one arm around her and tugging her against his warm body. She went willingly, snuggling into his body, her head resting under his chin, her back to his chest. He kissed the top of her head, one hand caressing her side gently.

"I love you." he whispered into her hair, sleep already thick in his voice. Those three words were the only lullaby Jenny needed, and she found sleep came just as the grandfather clock downstairs rang, signaling that it was midnight.

A/N: I don't know how happy I am with this chapter. I just couldn't get it out the way I wanted. I'm sensing this story coming to a close; I'm thinking maybe three or four more chapters, then a two part epilogue. As much as I don't like this chapter, I hope you did, or at least part of it!