Three and a half weeks after he brought Kelly home. Was Jethro's high school graduation. He had managed to come in, make up all the work he missed when Kelly was in the hospital, and take and pass all of his exams. Luckily his teachers were all very understanding and forgave him several of his assignments. According to Jack that was an advantage of living in a small town. Jethro on the other hand felt that it was simply good luck. Even though technology wasn't his strong suit he had enrolled in Keller University online. Before Jenny died he was going to go to take classes at the nearby community college and Jen would get her degrees online. Now there was no way he could balance going to school in person and caring for Kelly. He had spoken with the director of NCIS who assured him that as long as he got all the required credits to be an agent an online degree was just fine. Jethro wasn't sure if that was true or if Vance was just taking pity on him but he would take it either way. If he couldn't be a Marine being an agent was the next best thing. Jethro sat at his kitchen table in his cap and gown and stared down at the graduation invitation that had been meant to be sent to Jenny's mom. After the way she acted at Jen's funeral Jethro could pretty much guarantee that she would have refused to attend. He tried not to think about how much he disliked her too much. She had missed out on knowing one of the most amazing people on the planet. To raise some spoiled brat with some heir out in California. Beside the invitation was another sheet of paper. He left the invitation on the table and picked up the sheet of college ruled notebook paper.

"You ready to go Leroy?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah" Jethro replied.

"Don't forget your speech." Jack reminded.

"I got it. I just hope it's good enough." Jethro replied.

"Well don't worry too much the Salutatorian is making the big Valedictorian speech. They just wanted to hear what you had to say. Especially since Jenny had written most of her speech." Jack explained.

"I am just glad that Lin isn't making the speech. I am glad they striped her of everything when they found out she was drunk driving in the crash that killed Jenny." Jethro explained.

"I agree but I do feel for her parents though. Frank I always knew was trouble but Lin seemed like such a good straight-laced kid." Jack replied.

"Yeah! Well she wasn't! Now let's go!" Jethro snapped.

"Leroy I..." Jack started.

"Let's just go! I am sorry OK!? Jethro snapped.

Two hours later Jethro sat in the one of the seats behind the principal. Along with him was the Salutatorian Michael Williams, the class vice president Carly and a girl from Honor Society that Jethro didn't know. He could feel everybody in the crowd staring at him. Wondering what on Earth he was doing up there. He knew Michael and Margo were each wondering what the administrators were thinking. At least Carly was just being way to sympathetic. Mr. Porter took the stage as the last few bars of Pomp and Circumstance played. Jethro could feel the tension around him. He had not seen his principal since the funeral. When the details of the accident finally emerged it had rocked the town. In a way Jethro felt sorry for him. He was the Principal and the two kids he was supposed to be graduating were in jail for underage drinking. One was actually in prison facing charges of vehicular manslaughter and he had to act like everything was perfectly normal for the other two thousand and fourteen graduates of Stillwater High.

"Good evening, I know that today comes with certain challenges with the deaths of two of our students Sam and Jenny but hopefully we can put aside our shock and grief for an evening and celebrate the start of the rest of the lives of these fine students. As many of you know Jennifer was our Valedictorian. Which is amazing considering all she had to overcome this year. Actually this tragedy landed our student body president in a bad place as well. So today our vice president will make the speech for that office and out Salutatorian will make the Valedictorian speech in their places. However I would like to begin with a very special speech from one of our students Jethro Gibbs." Principal Porter spoke.

Principal Porter spoke a little longer before calling Jethro to make his speech. From the crowd he heard confused applause and whispers. Which he tried to ignore as he made his way to the podium. He set down his speech pulled out his reading glasses, cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I know what you all are thinking what is the dumbest kid in school doing making a speech. Well Jen was supposed to speak tonight. She had already written the beginning of her speech. It is just a line or two but it was so powerful that they wanted me to speak in her place. I am not one for speaking but for Jen I would. Jenny's speech goes. Good evening class of twenty-fourteen. Today we begin the rest of our lives. As I learned at an early age. We do not know how long these lives will be but... I know that ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong but that is where the speech ends. It is a sad irony that Jen was going to speak about the fragility of life. I just hope there is a lesson we can all take with us. Right before he died my friend Mike Franks the dad of Sam who was also lost that night. Told me the most important thing he had rule he had ever learned. Mike had a lot of rules but the last one he taught me was never take anything for granted. So please go out and enjoy your life. Well I don't know I guess I am done here., thank you." Jethro read.

After graduation Timmy, Abby, and Tony were all sleeping over at friend's houses. Jethro had planned to meet with G who was finally released from the hospital a few days before and a few of the other guys. To go camping by the water but when he went to meet with his family. He learned that Darla had to take Kelly home because she wasn't feeling good. So he canceled on the guys and went home. It was after midnight and Jack and Darla were already asleep. Jethro didn't hear any noises coming from upstairs so he assumed that Olivia was asleep too. He was envious of his parents Kelly had screamed her head off for an hour now and nothing Jethro tried seemed to work. He had finally put her back in her crib and went to use the bathroom and grab himself a fresh cup of coffee. When he got back down to the basement Kelly was still screaming, she had been feverish most of the night but when he picked her up again she was burning up. He quickly put her in her baby seat, ran upstairs, and started pounding on Jack and Darla's door.

"Leroy what's wrong?" Jack asked opening the door.

"I don't know something is wrong with Kelly she is burning up and seems to be in pain!" Jethro cried.

"Oh no. Darla! Stay here with Olivia! I am going to take Leroy and Kelly to the hospital! Kelly is really sick!" Jack cried.

"Do you want me to take them?" Darla asked.

"No you are exhausted." Jack replied.

When they arrived at the clinic Jack signed Kelly in while Jethro tried his hardest to calm her down. Kelly was taken back for tests immediately. Jethro was grateful that the doctors allowed him to go back with his baby. He had to look away when the doctor drew blood from her arm.

"We have the results of Kelly's blood-work." Dr. James replied.

"What?" Jethro asked.

"Oh dear. Denise call an ambulance." Dr. James called.

"What's going on?" Jethro asked.

"Kelly has bacterial meningitis." Dr. James replied solemnly.

A/N: Will Kelly survive? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.