Disclaimer NCIS is not mine

In the Depths of Autopsy

'Regret's been know to give a man a beatin'
But I ain't in the mood for fightin' back this evenin'
Only fools don't take the time of day
They stay too busy runnin''
-Eric Church, The Hard Way

Over two months had passed now. Two long, torturous, dead end months had passed, and still they were not a step closer to finding her. Every day that passed brought yet more hours of scanning the same CCTV footage, checking more Jane Doe bodies in case in some twist of fate it was her. Yet every day brought them no closer. Nothing new had arisen, and yet there was no bad news either. And whilst some would try to console all of those who were worried with the familiar phrase; 'no news is good news', at the back of everyone's mind was the voice of the cop. The badge that had seen so many abductions and bodies, the same badge which was telling them that now, two months later, they wouldn't find her alive.

Some had begun looking for burial sites – those who were still actually bothering to look. But every week that passed caused the number of agents looking to dwindle. After over a month, Stan had had to fly back to DC in order to help Will. Because there was only so much work that one agent could do. Agent Ishutin was slowly beginning to talk to him about the case less and less. Even Tom Marrow called on him less for updates and reports.

So now, as he was summoned up to the Russian MTAC, he knew exactly what he was about to get told. He'd been expecting it for the last couple of weeks. Yet at the same time, it hurt him that no one seemed to be bothered anymore. It scared him how life without her was just moving on, like she'd never been there. Gibbs knew that thinking like that was exaggerating the situation. Every single one of them would always think of her. When there was no active case it was hers they would work, but it didn't stop him feeling like everyone had given up.

Stephanie was back in DC as well, when Burley had gone back so had she. There was only so much that she could take after all. Jenny was an important part of her husband's life, and consequently her life, but Jenny was not her partner. Jenny was just another work colleague after all.

As Gibbs walked up the stairs he was overwhelmed with regret that he was still yet to find her. The door at the top finally opened to his iris scan, after having to get one of the agents to open it for him for the first month or so. And as he walked in, he saw Tom Marrow waiting for him. Gibbs didn't even bother to remove the glum and utterly annoyed look off of his face. Marrow would know it was there anyway. The director had done more than most did – Gibbs knew that, and he appreciated it – but that was not the point. The fact was that cops, federal agents, marines, they weren't meant to leave a man behind; they weren't meant to give up on their own.

And look what they were doing now.

"Gibbs." Marrow said, nodded to the other man via satellite video, Gibbs nodded back. He noticed the tired look on his director's face, and the growing black bags under his eyes. Gibbs wondered if their director had been playing agent to try and get Jenny back, they all knew that Marrow had been one of the best NCIS had when he was in the field. Not in the same way Gibbs was, Marrow had gotten to the bottom of a case, and managed to not annoy anyone along the way – he did what Gibbs had only ever witnessed Jenny do. Both of them managed to play politics, and yet not let it get in the way of a case.

Whilst Gibbs shot anyone who stepped on his turf.

"You want me back in DC." It wasn't a question from the former Marine, it was a statement.

"It's been over two months Gibbs. I'm not saying don't stop looking – I want to find her, I'm just saying do it from this side of the Atlantic." And Gibbs looked at the older man, and realised how little energy he had. Gibbs hadn't slept since Jenny was kidnapped; he had been living on coffee –

-He'd put everything in to finding her. But there is only so much you can do before you put yourself in the ground. That was something he knew Jenny would kill him for doing. So he just nodded, and accepted that this was a battle that he wasn't going to win.

"I'll be on the next flight." And with that the silver haired, blue eyes special agent left the darkened room, and headed to the safe house he had been sleeping in. But before he did that, he went to the riverside, and looked out over the industrial half of the city. For one reason only – to pray that she would come home safe.

Marrow sighed when he got back into his office, and fell into the black leather chair. It was a good job that it was comfy, because these days it acted not only as a chair, but as a bed and a therapist's couch. But as he sat down today, he didn't like what his chair stood for. There was a time when he would have expected Gibbs to refuse to come home, to quit his damn job if it found his partner, but looking at him over satellite camera, he saw something that scared him; the agent was beginning to lose hope.

Marrow had read Gibbs' file, he knew about Shannon and Kelly, he knew about Martinez, and what Gibbs had no doubt done. And that was why the look in Gibbs' eyes scared him so much. Marrow saw himself as a friend almost to the former marine, he, Gibbs and Jenny had a good relationship thanks to the deep cover of the Europe op. But he was not sure how either Gibbs or he would cope if Jenny had to be classed as killed on duty.

"Can you get me Agents Decker and Burley?" He asked his secretary through the intercom. She gave the affirmative and he lent back in his chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly before looking on his computer screen which was filled with Jenny related items. All the latest bodies to turn up in Russia and it's bordering countries. Every report that had anything to do with finding her. And yet in the mass of intelligence he had access to, there was nothing. Not even with the assistance of Russian PD, the FBI or the CIA could they find her.

Marrow knew that rumours were everywhere, and every time he asked if they had anything someone smirked. He knew they all thought him a fool for believing in her, after all one of the only ways to disappear that well was if you really didn't want to be found. So all those agencies who were 'helping' were actually under the belief that she had turned dark. But they didn't know one thing that he did.

They didn't know Jennifer Shepard.

There was a knock at his door, and he allowed entry, knowing that it would be Decker and Burley, which sure enough it was. They entered looked as tired as he felt, and what he would swear was in yesterday's clothes. The pair had managed to solve every case that came their way, but even when Tom would leave late at night or early the next morning, the two would still be working on Jenny's case. There were numerous mornings he had arrived for a meeting with London, at 4am, only to find the pair passed out on their desks. No one could say they had not looked down every avenue.

"Gibbs is coming back stateside." Was all Tom Marrow said, and he would swear he saw part relief in their eyes. The pair of agents were fiercely loyal to their boss, and wanted him back to lighten the load. But he also knew what this would signify to them.

"So what, we're just giving up? It's been two months so we class her as MIA? Dead? Just because we can't find her?" Stan questioned anger in his voice as he spoke, the same anger every agent that properly knew the red head was feeling. The director watched as Will placed a hand on his partners shoulder, trying to tell him to calm down, but Stan shook it off. "No, no Jenny would not do this to us. She would fight our corner! Two months, that is barely anything in the scheme of things! We've found people alive after a year! Why the hell should we stop now?"

But not one of them answered him, simply because they didn't know what to say, or how.

"This is utter bull! 'We stand by our own' isn't that what we say? All I can see is that when the going gets damn tough we give up, well you know what? I'm not going to. I'm gonna find her even if it kills me!" The agents stormed out of the office after that, letting the metal door slam behind him on a silent office.

Tom Marrow and William Decker stood there silently for a couple of minutes, before Decker headed for the door. "Special Agent Decker -"

"I'm not going to apologise for him, because I agree with every word." Will said, turning to look at his Director. But the older man just shook his head, and felt a wave of pride.

"I wasn't going to tell you to. I was going to say; make sure you find her." And with a small smile, William Decker nodded, before walking out of the room, and closing the door behind him – softly.

Once they were gone, Tom Marrow sighed softly, and looked at his computer screen, wondering whether when they found her, she would still be living and breathing. And if she was, what damage would be done that was irreparable.

He walked through the doors into NCIS feeling like he was home, but like his home had been emptied of everything that made him feel safe. Every agent that walked past got a scrutinising glare. His suspicion was of every face that he didn't now, and all those that he did. But it really hit him when he walked into the bullpen, and was hit in the heart, was winded, by the sight of her desk. The desk she hadn't sat at for months, but that still had her ore about it.

"It isn't right empty, is it?" Will said as he walked in to find Gibbs staring at the desk. "Every day I walk in and feel like I'm looking at a ghost." But the silver haired man did not say a work. He just took two bottles of vodka out of his backpack and placed them on the desks of Stan and Will, both of whom nodded in thanks to their boss.

That was when Gibbs noticed that both of their desks were empty, and neither one of their computer screens were turned on. "We not got a case?" He questioned Will, but the younger agent simply raised an eyebrow.

"We've only got one case that matters." And then Will and Stan got up and walked out of their divider, leaving Gibbs completely confused. So, he followed them out of the bull pen and down the stairs until they arrived in autopsy and it dawned on him. There, in the middle of the cold metal room was a large whiteboard, filled with pictures of the scene he was so familiar with. Pictures of Jenny, CCTV footage of her, some of which he had not seen. Notes written in black, green and red white board pen. Marked maps, where she had last been seen. Arrows, and string, linking together theories with people and evidence.

And right in the middle of it all was Doctor Mallard, sat reading through reports which Gibbs knew should be completely blacked out. Reports that even the special agent himself had not been able to access despite his attempts. Sat next to Ducky, was the signature white cup of tea, steaming softly into the cold air. A mastermind at work drinking tea.

Gibbs stood there, watching and Stan and Decker walked over to Ducky and sat down, picking up two files which lay open, and carrying on where they had left off. Jethro stood there, watching the three men at work, watching as they got to work. He felt a wave of pride hit him once more, just like it had so many times over the last couple of months. He watched them, watched as Decker stood up and began to talk about a new theory, as Stan began to talk about his search on the internet for something. Gibbs wasn't listening, but that wasn't what mattered in that moment, because the silver haired man watched them in relief.

Ducky sat there listening to the newly developed theory of William Decker. There had been many, but the latest one was beginning to convince even him. The Scotsman sat there listening, before turning his gaze to fall upon the man who they all respected. Gibbs had been missed – that was undisputable. But there was also a sense of unresolved anger with the Doctor about it. Because it made everything seem so final – something none of them were ready for.

Yet as Ducky looked up at Gibbs, he saw a light come on in the other man, sat realisation hit. And it was about time, just because they weren't where she had been taken from, did not mean that they weren't going to find her. Gibbs stood there, and it hit him. Moscow was where the case had began, but here, in DC, in autopsy, surrounded by the finest agents who were his team –

-This was where the case would be solved. Because this was where the four most dedicated people were. Jenny Shepard's case would be closed from the depths of autopsy, no matter how long it took them.

Reviews are like my Easter Chocolate - Fantastic!

(And if anyone got the doctor who reference there then you're pretty fantastic too)