Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS

Authors note – hey, so I hope this is alright, There are only two more chapters left of this then it is the end of the series. So a quick thanks to all of you who have stuck with me from the beginning. Hope you'll continue to enjoy on the last part of their journey!

Thanks to my reviews….

Left my heart in Paris – thank you! I loved writing the bit about tim, it was so easy to write!

Guest – thanks! :D

TeamCarisleandEsme8 – thank you! :D

Enjoy!

A strong person is not one whom does not shed a tear in a time of heartache, they are not necessarily the first to recover from a fall but is the person who even when the whole world seems to be against them pushes on. It is the person who in the time of heartache pushes their feelings behind a mask and reserves them for later and instead worries about the ones around them. They will shed a tear but not in the company of others, instead they will fall to pieces when they're alone. They will hide their emotions as not to make others worry. The strong person is the person who shall push emotion to one side, say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done before they retreat and let the mask fall. It is the stronger person who will hide behind a smile and worry for others when inside their heart is breaking.

Days, weeks and months passed with little to no change. Things began to change around them, Vance assigned them to the vacant spot at the nearest NCIS headquarters to work cold cases. IT was boring and slow work but it meant they were a family. Abby was welcomed with open arms in the lab as she was well known at NCIS for being their best forensic scientist in history. Ducky helped down in the morgue as he also was a respected ME. Every hour of the day someone was by her side, talking, holding her hand or simply sleeping. But she was never alone. The team began to get into the swing of the change but always was there a vacant spot. Jenny was missed and things weren't quite right.

Her becoming hospitalised had made them all closer and two couples in particular. Tony and Ziva had been there for one another, they had become like a rock for each other when the reality of what was happening became too much for either or both of them to take. They currently shared room in a safe house. IT was a two up two down terrace, nothing special but a disused safe house Vance had let them to stay in. The pair was there for one another, her with her painful threats of things she could easily do, and him with his continuous movie references. They acted as a distraction for one another when they needed to get time away.

McGee and Abby had a similar relationship. Yet it was him that coped, him what was the shoulder Abby could cry on. He suffered in silence something no one had quite known the extent of until recent months. He was the one she would curl up with when she just wanted to cry. Yet her bubbly attitude distracted him from the things that were going on, his caring person distracted her.

It was Ducky who was the strong one, he supported them all. It was him who would continue to tell stories they'd heard a million times over. But he was like the back bone of the team, he was the one who in the darkest of times sat them down with as mug of tea and told them stories and distracted their minds. He really was the grandfather of the team.

Yet it was Gibbs whom they all shared concern from. He stayed at the hospital every night, he watched her and waited. They all knew what she meant to him, and every day that passed he distanced himself from they all a little more. Over the last 7 years he'd been building his retirement plan, their retirement plan. He'd build a boat in three sections; it was bigger than the rest. He had a dream that he and Jenny would sail around the world, and he knew one day they would. So he'd had it shipped over, and on those days when he couldn't face seeing her pale form and had finished work he worked on his boat at the docks. He'd attached the three sections together, sanded it, built a deck below the surface where there was a small build in bedroom, kitchen with gas power, ad a bathroom. There was also a small sitting room. It was perfect for just the two of them. He'd painted it white with a red and blue thin line around the top. It was perfect for just them. Inside he had painted the walls a whitewashed white and left the floors – just stained the. Every day he'd work on something little - to make it perfect. But he knew in his heart the one thing that would make it complete would be his redhead on board.

-two hearts forever intwertwined-

Today marked their fifth month in England. Vance was itching for them all to return stateside but knew if he forced them he'd have a massive storm erupting when Jenny woke up. Work in the cold case room was slow. So far they'd solved 5 of the cases, albeit in the middle of the night when one of them could not sleep. But it was slow. Abby got annoyed when reviewing old evidence and Gibbs when the former investigation team tried to get in on the glory. But things were different. Gibbs wasn't his usual gruff self, Tony's head wasn't constantly throbbing in pain from a head slap – in fact he couldn't remember the last time he'd had one. Gibbs would bring them coffee and Tony and McGee thought he reminded them of how he'd acted all those years ago after Kate's death when he was going after Ari. Gibbs was being…nice.

Sighing Gibbs ran a hand through his hair and down his face. "I can't do this anymore." He muttered under his breath. Standing up he grabbed his coffee and walked out. Everyone was in shock. Gibbs no matter how tough things had gotten had never walked out like that.

He walked to the hospital, the cool air hitting his lungs. He walked through the streets; the trees were beginning to lose their leaves ready for autumn. The air was cold and he momentarily thought he was glad he'd put in a hot water and heating system on the boat. He'd also decided to get some electricity with a generator he wasn't quite sure he understood how it worked. But the boat sailed like a dream; he'd tested it then written the name on the back.

The Miracle

It was named after Jenny, but now her name. He remembered ages ago she'd threatened to kill him if he ever named a boat after her. He smiled at the memory. She was going to pull through, something in his gut told him she would.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked the sterile white corridors of the hospital. The nurses knew him now and let him go on without a second thought. He walked the now familiar corridors to her side room. The sight of her made his heart ache as it did every time he saw her. Slowly he took her now healed hands with only the small scars as proof of the burns, and kissed them. "God Jen, I need you. I…I don't know how much more I can take. Jenny please…please wake up." HE was holding back a sob as he spoke. Then he wasn't sure if he was dreaming, he felt her hand squeeze him. He looked in shock. Then at her face in time to see her eyes flutter open.

"Jethro?" she questioned in a groggy voice and the smile on his face went from ear to ear.

I was gonna leave that til next time but I couldn't resist!

Please please with a cherry on top review!