Friday morning Jenny stood at the railing, watching her husband as he took phone calls and ordered his team around. Somehow he always knew she was there. Usually he would look up and they would share a moment when their eyes met and no one else around them noticed. Today Jenny could tell by the small smile on Gibbs' face that he knew she was there, but two could play this game and he wasn't looking up. It might be dangerous anyways, both of them were looking forward to getting out of town today, and getting away from everything here. Maybe he didn't want her to see how much he was looking forward to being alone with her.

Their bags were packed and in the trunk of Gibbs' car, and Cynthia had made sure Jenny's schedule was cleared so they could leave right after her appointment with Kristyn. Barring something catastrophic, they were good to go. He still wouldn't tell her what their destination was no matter what means she tried of getting the information out of him. So Jenny had to wait. She smiled in her husband's direction and reluctantly headed back to her office. A pile of paperwork still awaited and she didn't want anything left at the end of the day to bother her while they were away.

NCIS

"Good afternoon Director!" Abby said cheerily as she bounced into Jenny's office around lunchtime holding a small black basket.

Jenny looked up. Though not unwelcome, a visit from their forensic scientist was certainly unexpected today. "Abby," she smiled, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The girl grinned. "By order of Gibbs, I'm supposed to pamper you before you guys leave for your mystery weekend away that no one is telling me about."

Despite Abby's not-so-subtle hinting, Jenny just shook her head slowly. "He won't even tell me about it Abs. But even if he had, I would still have to keep it a secret." She lowered her voice. "He's Gibbs, he would know."

Abby's eyes widened. "Kinda creepy, huh? Like how he always knows when I've found something in my lab, or the way he sneaks up on you, without make even a single sound..."

"Abby!" Gibbs voice came from the doorway and Abby shrieked, spinning around.

"Gibbs!" she huffed, glaring at him. "Stop doing that! I'm all for your super secret powers and all, but you're seriously going to give me a heart attack one of these days. Geez!"

Gibbs chuckled and aimed his gaze at Jenny. "Just making sure she didn't get sidetracked."

Jenny shook her head at him, a smile curving her lips. "It's a sweet idea Jethro, but you really don't have to get Abby to do anything special for me." She was touched by her husband's thoughtfulness, though a little unsure about how to take it.

He stepped closer and brushed his fingers lightly down her face, the look he was giving her making Abby wish she was in another room or had her camera phone handy. "You deserve it Jen," he said softly. "And you're in good hands with Abby." Gibbs looked back and forth between them. "Behave, both of you." Then he left the way he'd come.

Jenny shrugged helplessly at the closed door and turned to Abby. "Well, what are you supposed to do?"

Abby's eyes twinkled. "Your nails." She fished her hand through her basket of small glass bottles, towels, and creams. Just before she picked one, Jenny added a condition.

"No black Abby."

Her expression fell and for a moment she looked defeated. Jenny skimmed through the colours and settled on a very neutral colour of pink.

"Tea rose?" Abby asked, her eyebrows lifting. "Really?"

"Indulge me Abs," Jenny said, "it will go great with my dress."

Abby's face lit up again. "Do I get to see a picture?"

Considering it for a moment, Jenny decided that was the least she could do. "Yes."

"Alright then," she said, reaching for a bottle of clear bottom coat first, "tea rose it is." She shook her head. "Man, this is going to be some weekend alright."

"Abby..." Jenny warned. The girl looked at little bit too thrilled about contemplating what Jenny and Gibbs would be doing while they were gone.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "Can't help it."

"So," Jenny tried a different tactic, "what do you and McGee have planned for the weekend?"

Abby's cheeks coloured and she kept her focus on steadying the hand brushing polish onto Jenny's thumbnail. "Oh, you know, stuff...and...things. So Director," she bit her lip, searching for a less dangerous topic. Finally she hit on it and looked up. "Tell me about Gibbs when he was your boss."

Jenny started laughing, then remembered she needed to keep still if she wanted the nail polish to end up on the right spot.

"Oh Abby...I have so many stories."

The girl grinned. "I've got time."

Jenny thought for a moment, then picked a time from their history and began to remember for Abby.

NCIS

"Hey Ziva," McGee asked, catching up to her as she headed for the elevator.

She turned around. "Yes McGee."

He looked around nervously, not knowing exactly where Tony was. "Umm...would you like to have lunch with me today? There's this great little place just down the street. And it's right by The Jewellery Exchange."

A light went on in Ziva's eyes. "You want to look today?" she confirmed.

McGee shrugged. "Just look. I want to see what they have, and get your opinion."

Ziva looped her arm through his. "I would be honoured to join you for lunch Tim."

Just then Tony came walking by, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. "Hey McGoogle, where are you going with my partner?"

Ziva rolled her eyes at him. "It is just lunch Tony."

"Why aren't you having lunch with your little Goth princess in that deep dark lab of hers?" Tony demanded.

McGee sighed. "Abby said she'd be busy doing a favour for Gibbs over lunch."

"What kind of favour?" Tony asked suspiciously.

"I didn't ask and she didn't tell," was all Tim would say.

"So you think you get to use my partner as a stand in for your absentee girlfriend?"

"Why are you so hot and bothersome about this Tony?" Ziva asked, one arched eyebrow indicating he better have a good reason to be acting like a three year old whose favourite toy had been taken.

"Umm...well...because..." Tony tried to find an excuse. "What if I wanted you to go for lunch with me?" The disbelieving look on Ziva's face caused him to frown. "Don't look at me like it's a foreign concept, we've had lunch together before."

"Yes, but you would have to ask me first," she pointed out. "And this time you did not. So I will go with McGee." They kept walking and Ziva looked back over her shoulder at him. "Would you like us to bring you something Tony?"

"No thanks," he grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets, "I'm not hungry."

Ziva stopped short of making a comment, it wasn't fair to tease Tony anymore. But she found it interesting that he was jealous of McGee of all people, a man who was happily involved with one of their good friends. She wondered just what Tony was thinking, and if he was ever going to share.

Once in the elevator, Tim let out a breath. "Thanks for not telling him," he said sincerely. "Tony...he wouldn't understand."

Ziva tilted her head a little. "I do not know McGee...maybe he would understand much more than you think."

Tim shook his head. "It would just be one more thing he can tease me about and he might let it slip to Abby and think it's funny."

"McGee," Ziva said seriously, facing him, "Tony is your friend. For something as important as this I do not think he would make it all into a joke."

"No," Tim muttered, "just most of it."

The history between Tony and Tim went back further than Ziva's days at NCIS. And while she'd seen how Tony tormented McGee, she'd also seen the times Tony had stood up for McGee to outsiders, and how he relied on Tim as a source of constancy and stability in his life. But McGee was too close to see that. Perhaps one day he would realize how much Tony really cared for him as a friend. Today though, his focus was elsewhere.

NCIS

The day seemed to pass extra slowly, as it always did when there was something exciting happening later. Gibbs and Jenny arrived at the psychiatrist's office at 1600 hand in hand, very much reminiscent of their first joint session together. Kristyn opened the door with her usual smile.

"Mr. Gibbs, Jenny, thank you for coming."

Jenny raised an eyebrow at the therapist. "I didn't realize it was optional."

Kristyn shook her head gently. "Not for you Jenny, but your husband had a choice."

"Sure," Jenny said sarcastically, not meaning it, "he gets the special treatment."

Gibbs squeezed her hand. "I come when I'm asked Jen."

She looked back at him and sighed. "Fine."

Dr. Renway looked back and forth between the two of them. "Jenny, I'd like to see your husband alone for a moment if I may. Would you mind waiting outside?"

Jenny frowned momentarily, but nodded and turned to go back out to the waiting room. This did not seem like a good idea.

Kristyn closed the door and motioned for Gibbs to take a seat. He did, sitting gingerly on the couch across from her.

"Something I can help you with Doc?" he asked, not knowing what to expect.

The doctor met his eyes. "How is she?"

Gibbs hadn't expected that. He nodded a little. "Better. We've actually been doing really good this week."

Kristyn smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. What about the intimacy issue?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We're working on it, slowly."

Not wanting to press her luck with that topic, Dr. Renway brought up another important one. "How's she been eating?"

Gibbs sighed. "On and off, maybe a little more than before, but still not enough. She's losing weight. I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Kristyn agreed. "A month is too long for Jenny to keep this up. But by now it's routine to her to avoid food in case something bad happens. It's probably not even registering with her that this is serious now, because she's been doing it so long."

"I can't push her," Gibbs shrugged, "we just end up fighting. She doesn't really hear me, she just doesn't like the topic. Jenny's always been defensive about her eating habits."

Kristyn frowned. "Has she done this before?" That would be something she hadn't thought of yet.

"Not to this extent," he reassured her, "but when she gets into work or really intense on a case, she just...forgets to eat. For a couple days at a time sometimes. It worries me, her thinking she can live off caffeine and the occasional protein bar, but she always gets back on track before too long." Gibbs shook his head. "I've never seen her like this before."

"I'm glad you told me," Kristyn said seriously. "I don't know if she mentioned it, but today is her one month evaluation." The doctor sighed. "I really didn't want to do this, but I'll be giving her a food journal. I want her to keep track of everything she puts in her mouth and how much. Maybe if Jenny can see for herself how little she is eating, it will make a difference somehow."

"Trying something has got to be better than not doing anything," Gibbs agreed. "I'm sure Rachel will back us up on this too."

Dr. Renway looked curious. "Rachel?"

Gibbs' forehead wrinkled. "Didn't she tell you? Rachel's her best friend."

Kristyn's eyebrows rose. "I didn't think she had any close friends."

"They were roommates back in college," he explained. "Rachel just recently moved back to the area and she and Jenny have been getting together." He paused, wondering if what he knew about his wife's friend was confidential. Gibbs sighed. "Rachel has been through this too. She knows what Jenny is dealing with."

The therapist's eyes clouded. "While I wish that no one else had to experience what Jenny has, I am relieved to hear that she has someone to talk to. A best friend has a lot of influence in a woman's life. I'm glad you mentioned her, thank you."

Gibbs nodded shortly. He would've rathered Jenny be the one to tell her shrink about Rachel.

Kristyn leaned back in her chair. "Any exciting plans for the weekend?" she asked, just to see if he would tell her.

He considered deflecting the question, but decided it was easier just to answer them. "We're going away."

"You are?" Kristyn looked excited. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

He knit his brow. "Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "There's been a lot of pressure here, a lot of stress, and a lot of hurt as the two of you have walked through her healing together. Getting away from it all, even just for a couple of days...you'd be surprised at the effect it will have."

"A good one, I hope," Gibbs admitted, before realizing he said the words out loud.

Kristyn smiled but her eyes were guarded. "A warning Mr. Gibbs and then I'll leave it at that. As Jenny's husband and her partner in this journey to healing, you are going to find that her experience has happened to you too. Without your consent and against your will life changed forever. Jenny has been damaged. Yes, she is getting better, but in some ways she will never be the same as she was." She paused, looking for a delicate way to get her point across. "Whatever your hopes for this weekend, please remember not to rush her into anything. Everything might be great or it might be a lot to work through, just be prepared."

Appreciating the woman's candor, Gibbs nodded. Then waited while she went to call his wife into the room.