A couple hours later Gibbs entered the house and followed the sound of laughter to the kitchen. He raised his eyebrows when he went in and found Rachel and Jenny in the middle of making cookies. One tray was in the oven, another on the counter waiting to go in and they were trying to clean up the mess they'd made getting to that point. Gibbs crossed the room and hooked an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her close to kiss her on the temple.

"Having fun ladies?" he asked.

The two women exchanged glances and burst out laughing again.

"Jethro," Rachel said when she caught her breath, her eyes twinkling, "you're just in time to sample our masterpiece."

Jenny pulled the tray of cookies out of the oven and set it on the stove to cool. Gibbs looked back and forth between her and Rachel.

"Are they safe?" he asked at last.

He was immediately swatted by both women with the towels they were holding.

"Perfectly," Jenny smiled, but the glint in her eyes left him wondering. She moved closer for a moment while Rachel transferred the next tray into the oven. "You're so fun to tease Jethro," she whispered and he wanted to kiss her for the look she was giving him, but they had company.

"Well," Gibbs asked, staring hard at the cookies, "what kind are they?"

Jenny pointed to the first row. "These ones," she rolled her eyes, "are just plain batter. For Miss I-like-chocolate-chip-cookies-as-long-as-they-don't-have-any-chocolate-chips-in-them."

Rachel grinned and shrugged. "Childhood habit, what can I say?"

"These two rows are regular chocolate chip and the last is white chocolate chip. Take your pick."

Gibbs reached for the last kind, biting into the warm cookie. He was pleasantly surprised. "These are really good," he smiled.

Jenny crossed her arms. "You needn't sound so surprised."

He held his hands up innocently. "Hey, with you two in the kitchen, anything could happen."

Rachel had the grace to look sheepish. "He has a point Jen," she said. "Remember the first time we made a roast?"

Jenny winced. "Oh yeah, that."

"This sounds like a story I need to hear," Gibbs put in, leaning back against the counter.

"Well, it was at our first apartment..." Rachel began.

The next half hour was spent with Rachel and Jenny sharing college stories and all three of them sampling every tray of cookies that came out, just in case. When everything was finally cleaned up, Rachel and Jenny hugged goodbye at the front door. Rachel insisted on hugging Gibbs too and he didn't mind this time.

"See you soon Jenny," Rachel smiled. "Thanks for the cookies."

"Thanks for today Rach," Jenny said, giving her friend a meaningful look.

Rachel grinned. "Let me know how it goes. Bye."

Jenny closed the door and Gibbs turned her to face him.

"Let her know how what goes Jen?" he asked, curious.

Shaking her head mysteriously, Jenny took Gibbs' hand and they walked to the livingroom, settling on the couch together.

"Have fun with your boat?" she asked.

Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "No boat tonight Jen."

She looked confused. "Then where'd you go?"

Gibbs leaned back, getting comfortable. "Do you remember my friend Bill Reilley?"

The name sounded familiar but Jenny couldn't quite place it. She shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"We were in the Corps together. He was a Gunny, same as me."

Jenny angled her body to see him better. "What about him?" she asked.

"I called Bill a couple weeks ago when things weren't going that great and I didn't know what else to do." He shifted, not meeting her eyes. "At first it was just to blow off steam, but I've been talking to him a couple times a week since then." Gibbs looked at his wife, who was just absorbing all he hadn't told her before.

"Bill and his wife Meredith have been together for almost thirty years, he's had some good advice for me and he's listened even when I didn't know what to say."

Jenny put her hand on Gibbs' cheek and smiled a little. "I'm glad you've had someone to talk to Jethro." But she felt bad that it couldn't be her he was talking to, because it was about her.

Gibbs put his hand over hers. "I was at their place tonight. They'd like to meet you. Bill suggested dinner next week sometime, I said I'd ask you." He looked at her hopefully.

Jenny nodded. "Of course. After how you've welcomed my best friend, I would love to meet an old friend of yours."

"Thank you," Gibbs smiled.

Jenny looked away from her husband then and finally brought up what she'd been thinking about since her session with Kristyn.

"Jethro," she asked, running her fingers slowly through his hair, "is it still bothering you, the dream?"

She expected the way he tensed and didn't look at her. There were many ways Gibbs could answer that question. He and Bill had talked about it tonight and he'd already planned to do the same with Jenny. He had to be honest.

Gibbs sighed and took her hand. "Yes," he answered finally. "Last night helped and I want to thank you again for doing what I needed, I know it wasn't easy. I decided today, I know I need to let the dream go Jen, but it's so hard when all I can think about is what if we did go all the way and I hurt you? I couldn't take that." He looked down at their hands.

"I hate it when I do something that reminds you of the bunker and then you look at me with fear in your eyes. You were never supposed to be afraid of me Jen." Jenny wished she could say something to fix that, but knew it would probably happen again. "I hate that everything I've wanted to do to help you is everything that might make it worse. I'm trying here Jen, I really am, but it's hard, it's so hard to be careful all the time."

The raw honesty and hurt in her husband's words were a jolt for Jenny. Of course she should've expected that being patient and doing what he'd been doing for her would eventually take a toll on him, but she hadn't known how much he was keeping inside.

"I'm sorry Jethro," she said softly, "I know it hasn't been easy. I got a taste this weekend of what it's like for you when I keep you at arms length because of the memories. But I need you to know that it hurts me so much more when you pull away from me, emotionally and physically, than when you actually do things."

Jenny moved closer to him, needing Jethro to really hear her words in his mind and with his heart. "Yes, some things still bother me honey, but that doesn't mean we stop doing everything." She laced her fingers with his. "We need to find the new normal for us Jethro, and I don't know what that will look like yet, but it will always involve you touching me." Jenny closed her eyes. "I still need you, maybe even more than before, because I'm healing now and I want more of this, more of us. I will never not need you." She looked deeply into her husband's eyes, willing him to believe her. "I love you Jethro, and I miss us."

Gibbs felt his heart squeeze at Jenny's words and he stared at her for a long moment before slowly drawing her into his arms, needing to hold her just as much as she wanted to be with him. When they touched, something broke inside of him, like a dam let loose, and all his previous reservations melted away as their lips met. He deepened the kiss after only a few seconds, bringing his hands up to cradle Jenny's head.

Jenny tipped her head back and parted her lips, allowing Jethro access to her mouth. He groaned, tasting her again, but finally had to break the kiss when his lungs protested the lack of oxygen.

She smiled at him and wiped her lips, raising one eyebrow at him. "I guess this means we're okay?"

Gibbs pulled his wife into a hug, his arms tight around her. "Yeah Jen," he said, taking a breath. "We're okay. Or at least, we're working on okay."

Jenny leaned back, that mischievous glint from earlier back in her eyes. "Good," she grinned. "Because I'm calling in that bet you owe me."

"Bet?" Gibbs' eyes widened. "What bet?" Jenny held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. "Oh," Gibbs groaned. "That bet." He sighed. "Okay, let's get it over with. What's it going to cost me this time?"

Jenny's bet prizes ranged from work related consequences like being pleasant to the media for a whole week, going a day without headslaps, or giving up coffee, to more personal stuff like painting Jenny's nails, sending her to the spa one weekend, and free massages on demand. Free meaning he didn't get to expect anything afterward. Gibbs shook his head. Yup, definitely dangerous.

Jenny bit her lip, not sure if this was exactly the right time to bring up what she'd decided but also recognizing that she was ready to more forward from her experience one more step.

"I want to go away this weekend," she said finally, "just the two of us. We need to get away from everything here - work, people, my shrink, the press, everything." She shrugged. "I just want to be alone with you Jethro, somewhere nothing else can get in the way and we can get close to the 'us' I want to be."

Gibbs knew exactly what Jenny was implying and found himself torn between desperately wanting it and being apprehensive about what might happen this time. But he was so glad she was initiating the idea and even more thankful that Jenny wouldn't let him get too far away, just like he'd done for her all along.

He held her eyes. "I'd like that Jen."

"No cell phones?" she asked.

Gibbs shrugged. "DiNozzo can be on call for the weekend. McGee and Ziva will keep him in line. You?"

Jenny thought about it. Technically she needed to abide by Rule #3 and never be unreachable. So she compromised. "I'll leave my phone here and only Cynthia will have the number of where we are, under strict orders that the world better be ending if I get a call."

Gibbs leaned in to kiss her again. "Deal."

"Good," Jenny smiled again. "And because it was my idea, I'll let you decide where we go. You make the arrangements and I'll be surprised."

The grin on her husband's face didn't exactly make Jenny feel safe. "Double deal," he said, brushing his lips against hers once more, his mind already running through the possibilities.

Jenny glanced at the clock. "I think it's bedtime Jethro," she suggested.

They fell asleep in each other's arms that night and when Jenny woke in the middle of the night from another bad dream, Gibbs knew they'd made some significant progress. Instead of pushing him away and keeping her distance, Jenny wrapped her arms around her husband, needing the comfort of his touch. She sought his mouth for the reassurance his kiss gave.

Jenny needed their closeness to feel safe now and Gibbs gave it, which was what he'd wanted to do since the beginning. He put her back to sleep by running his fingers through her hair, the soothing motion helping her relax. And Gibbs smiled, because this was how it was supposed to be.

NCIS

The team got called out on a case almost as soon as they walked in the doors Wednesday morning and weren't back until early afternoon. When they returned, Tony, Ziva, and McGee immediately began following the usual protocol. Gibbs was headed down to see Ducky when he caught sight of a small silver box on his desk. A folded note was propped up against it.

Gibbs scanned the catwalk but saw no redhead lurking, waiting for his reaction. He sat down and read the note.

A gift, it said, so you never forget. J.

He set the note aside and lifted the lid off the little box. Inside, nestled on a bed of cotton, was a new set of dog tags. Since he didn't wear his anymore, Jenny had claimed them. She always wore them when he had to be away, saying it kept him close to her heart.

This set though, was special. On one was a picture of Jenny that he'd taken shortly after they were married, leaning against a tree at the park. His name and information was engraved on the other. But on the back of the one with her picture was a scripted message - their promise.

I love you Jethro, it read, always have, always will. Jenny.

Gibbs couldn't help but smile as he slipped them over his head, the metal cool on his skin. No, he wouldn't forget. How could he? He woke up to the best and greatest reminder every morning. Picking up his coffee, he continued on his way to go check with their ME, planning to catch his wife sometime today and offer her a proper 'thank you' for the gift.

NCIS

It had been a long day, but at least it ended with one more case solved and one more bad guy locked up. Gibbs climbed the stairs to Jenny's office after sending the team home, only to find the door locked. Cynthia had already gone home so Gibbs decided to check the next most logical place.

Jenny met him in the middle of the hall as he was heading to MTAC, already dressed in her coat and carrying her briefcase.

"Hi," he said, greeting her with a kiss.

Jenny leaned into him, sighing, and he chuckled. "Tired?"

She nodded. "But what else is new? I was all ready to go home but got called into MTAC last minute to chat with SecNav briefly."

Gibbs rubbed her back. "Anything wrong?"

She shook her head and they kept walking to the elevator. "No, he was just confirming a rumour he heard."

The down button was already lit and Gibbs took Jenny's hand. "Which one?"

Jenny sighed. "The one where the Director of NCIS marries her senior agent and forgets to mention it to him." Gibbs winced. "Yeah," she laughed. "But it wasn't too bad. He wanted to make sure we could keep it out of the office and it wouldn't affect how I treat your team vs. the others."

Gibbs squeezed her hand and they stepped into the elevator together. "I guess you didn't tell him what we do in your office?" he asked with a smirk.

Jenny shoved his shoulder. "No Jethro, I did not. Some things SecNav doesn't need to know."

"Agreed." He glanced at her, she seemed quieter tonight. Gibbs hadn't seen his wife much today and hoped last night hadn't haunted her. He'd find a way to ask her later. "My place tonight?" he asked.

She met his eyes. "I guess I have been kind of selfish about being at my house lately, huh?"

"Understandable," he replied.

Jenny pulled out her cell phone. I'll call Noemi and tell her not to worry about supper or to freeze it if she's already made something." Then she groaned. "Ohh...if we're at your house tonight we'll have to make supper."

Gibbs frowned. "It's not like we don't know how to cook Jen."

Jenny raised her eyebrow at him. "No. But there's no food at your place right now, so we'll have to go grocery shopping."

"Oh." It wasn't Gibbs' favourite thing either. "Well, I guess it won't kill us."

Jenny smiled. "No. It will probably be good for us actually. We haven't had much practice."

"Alright. I'll talk to your detail, have them meet us at home instead of tagging along to the store."

"Sounds good to me." Jenny was always looking for a reason to escape her security detail's watchful eyes. Though less so since what happened. But she wasn't worried, she'd have the best protection by her side tonight.

They stepped out of the elevator, made their respective calls, and walked hand in hand to Gibbs' car. Time to go be domestic.