Chapter 16

As the Months and week went on the more and more Kelly found that Jenny was there, either taking her home or spending the weekend, the little girl had noticed the change in her father, he seemed happier and smile a lot, especially at Jenny, he obviously liked her and of course she liked Jenny too.

Even though she hadn't been told outright that they were together, she already guessed they were and she was very helpful out of it.

"Hey Jenny" Kelly greeted the redhead as she ran over to her after school, she'd been expecting her father to pick her up but it was nice to see Jenny waiting for her instead.

"Hi sweetie" Jenny smiled at her , "Your dad's busy with a case and wanted me to pick you up is that ok?" she asked her.

"Of course" Kelly smiled before waving goodbye to all her friends before she and Jenny walked to the car park to find Jenny's car.

"Are we going home or to NCIS?" Kelly asked her.

Jenny smiled at her "I have the afternoon off so it's up to you?" she told the little girl.

"Can we go home, I have some home work to do?" she asked.

"Of course" Jenny nodded as they got to her car and she unlocked it.

Kelly then hopped into the passenger side and Jenny got in the driver's side, the redhead then drove them to Gibbs' house.

An hour later Kelly sat at the kitchen table with her books, doing some maths questions while Jenny sat opposite her, checking her emails on her laptop, she'd fitted in at Gibbs' house easily, it was comfortable, she liked Gibbs' house a lot more than her own, she didn't know if it was because, it was lively, it had people all the time, or it smelled like Gibbs, it made her feel safe.

"Jenny" Kelly said as Jenny's computer began to shut down.

"Yeah" she smiled at the little girl.

"There's this day at school….where… well we all bring in our mothers to talk about their jobs and what they do and stuff….every year I ask Abby or Ziva to come but I wondered….well if you could come" Kelly asked her, she being shy all of a sudden.

Jenny was a little surprised and honoured that Kelly would ask her "I would love to, just tell me when and I'll clear mu schedule" she told her green eyes bright and shiny.

"You're the best" Kelly said when she got up and ran around the table and hugged the older redhead, Jenny hugged her back lightly, she really had grown to love the little girl.

"Hey you wanna bake some cookies?" Jenny asked knowing what ingredients they had in the house were enough for the recipe that Jenny's mother had been famous for and that Jenny knew off by heart.

"Yeah" Kelly grinned before pulling Jenny out of the chair and to her feet.

Half an hour later the dough had been made and rolled into balls. Kelly and Jenny sat cross legged in front of the oven, looking at the cookies as they melted from the balls to make circles and cooked in the oven.

"You're the best lady friend that Daddy's ever had" Kelly told Jenny not looking at her, just keeping her eyes on the cookies.

"Really?" Jenny asked a little surprised.

"Yeah, I mean he hasn't had many" Kelly said "There was Diane she was horrible, she took all of daddies money, then there was Stephanie, she was nice but her and Daddy had lots of fights and you already know about Hollis" Kelly explained.

"Oh, well I'm glad" Jenny smiled at the little redhead.

"Your definitely the most prettiest" Kelly giggled.

"Thank you" Jenny smiled at her, she was so sweet, must have gotten it from her mother.

"Do you think there done yet" Kelly asked motioning to the oven.

"Maybe, lets look" Jenny suggested getting up to her feet as did Kelly, opening the oven and finding that the cookies were golden brown but still a little wobbly, so she took them out, "They cook when they're out of the oven too" Jenny told her "So taking them out about now, makes them chewy" she continued.

"Who taught you to bake?" Kelly asked her.

"My mother" Jenny told her with a smile, the cookies having been the last thing she had baked with her mother. "Once they're cool, you can have one with milk" Jenny suggested and Kelly nodded.

"I'm home" Gibbs called from the front door.

"Daddy" Kelly grinned as she ran from the kitchen, through the lounge and into the hall where she tackled him in a hug.

"Hey Sweetie, you been good for Jenny?" he asked pressing a kiss to her head.

"Yah huh, we made cookies" Kelly dragged him to the kitchen where Jenny was putting them on a wire rack to cool.

"They look great" He told both of them with a smile and Jenny smiled back.

"I'm gunna go wake grandpa" Kelly said all of sudden before running off up the stairs before Gibbs could tell her otherwise.

"Your home early" she told him as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"Solved the case" he told her with a smile before leaning down for a proper hello kiss, "You got a little bit of flour" he said when they pulled away, he then brushed it off of her nose before pressing a small kiss to it.

Both then heard Jack groan form above them, signalling that Kelly had jumped on him, "Kel" Gibbs yelled moving away from Jenny, both adults sharing small amused smiles over the little girls action, both thinking how funny she was.

Hours later after persuading Jenny to stay the night, both she and Gibbs were getting ready for bed, "You know Shannon used to do that" he told her.

"What?" Jenny asked him as she walked over to the bed where he lay.

"Bake all the time" he told her.

Jenny got a little freaked out, he was comparing her to Shannon, she wasn't sure how to feel, happy that he was comparing her to someone that he loved very deeply or comparing her to a ghost, I mean was he always doing that but only just vocalising it.

So she began to back away from the bed and grab her neat pile of clothes on the arm chair in the corner "Where you going?" Gibbs asked her, concern evident in his voice.

"Home, I…. I need to…." She stumbled with her words as she stumbled around the room trying to get her things together.

"Why?" Gibbs asked getting out of the bed and going towards her.

Jenny took a breath before speaking "This was what I was afraid of, this is why we could never work" she told him as she tried to make it to the door.

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs asked her, now even more concerned.

"I'm not her Jethro" she told him, her hand motioning to herself.

"Who?"

"I'm not Shannon, I don't want to and never will be" she told him.

"I'm not…" he began but she cut him off.

"I know, but I can't be with you knowing your comparing me to her, that I'm fighting with a ghost" she told him "I want you to love me for being me, not because I'm like Shannon" she told him with almost tears in her eyes "I can't Jethro I just can't" she told him, her breathing heavy, "I just need time ok, some space" she told him and he nodded "See you Monday" she mumbled, pressing a kiss to his cheek before walking out.

TBC…

Sorry about the whole baking obsession in this chapter and the last, it's just the other love of my life other than fanfiction and the best thing I make are choc chip cookies, I even won a bake-off with them in my class at school so yeah, sorry about that.

Please review and don't hate me too much, if you know me then you know they won't be mad at each other for long.