Gibbs fixed steak over the open fire in his fire place. He had just turned it over when there was a knock on his front door. "Come in." Gibbs called. He heard the door open followed by the sound of high heels clicking on the floor. He turned around to see Jenny Shepard standing in his living room.

She gave him a smile. "Hello Jethro." She greeted.

Gibbs took in her appearance. She was wearing a pair of rather tight jeans and a low cut top. "Hello Jen." He replied.

"So, what's for dinner?" She asked.

"Steak, potatoes, and bourbon." He answered.

"Are you cooking the steak over the fire?"

"Yeah, it's best that way." Gibbs told her. He then gestured to the couch. "Have a seat."

Jenny sat down on the couch and watched as he flipped the steak over and over above the fire. "You've done this a lot?" She asked.

"Yeah." Gibbs answered. "When Charity was little, I used to make it once a week for her. It was our special father-daughter time."

Jenny smiled as she pictured Gibbs with his young daughter. He was a family man and that was something special.

After a while Gibbs finished the steaks. Gibbs served the food up and they sat on the couch and ate. They talked and laughed and had a wonderful time. They even put in a movie and snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

After the movie ended, Jenny took notice of the time. She had expected Gibbs to make a move, but nothing had happened. Sure he had kissed her several times during the evening, but it wasn't the move. "Well, I guess I had better get going." Jenny announced rising and heading to the door.

Gibbs followed her. He had been planning on making his move, but it had been so long. Just as Jenny was pulling on her jacket he finally had his nerve. "You don't have to go." He told her, moving closer.

Jenny looked up at him, her eyes questioning. He answered her unspoken question by pulling her close and kissing her passionately.

Charity...

Charity sat at her desk the next day, trying to focus on the case, but finding that she could only focus on the clock. She was incredibly nervous about her tea time with Mrs. Paddington. The phone at her desk rang, taking her attention from the clock. She picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Charity, I need to speak with you." came the familiar and calming voice of Ducky.

"I'll be right down." Charity replied, then hung up. She hopped on the elevator and rode it down to autopsy. She walked inside and Ducky was standing over the body of their victim. "So, what do you have for me, Ducky?"

"Well, actually I didn't call you down here about the case." Ducky answered. He finished the stitching he was doing on the body and then moved away from the body. He removed his gloves and protective medical garb.

"What are you talking about Duck?" Charity asked.

"I've noticed that you've seemed a bit distracted these last few days. Is everything alright?" Ducky asked, concern coloring his tone.

Charity let out a sigh. "You know how Tony's grandmothers are visiting?"

Ducky nodded. "Yes. I thought everything was going well with that."

"Well, they are with Grammy 'Nozzo." Charity answered.

"But not the case with Mrs. Paddington?"

"Right." Charity replied. "I'm supposed to be having tea with her today. I...I just get the feeling that she doesn't like me."

"That's absurd." Ducky replied. "You are the most lovable person I have ever met. Even more so now after you met Anthony."

Charity gave Ducky a smile. "I just feel like everything I do and everything I am isn't what she pictured for her grandson."

"It doesn't matter what she wants, Charity." Ducky told her. "As long as you and Anthony are happy that is all that matters. And believe me my dear, with the way that boy looks at you, he's happy and in love."

"I know." She replied. "But I still want her to like me. It's the closest I'll get to his mother's approval."

Ducky opened his arms and pulled Charity in for a hug. "Just be yourself. Everyone else loves you for you. She will, too. Some of these old English women just take a bit to warm up to people."

Charity pulled back and gave Ducky a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Duck."

"Any time my dear." Ducky told her, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

Charity took note of the time. "I have to get changed and ready. It's almost tea time."

"Just remember to be yourself." Ducky told her. "And everything will be just fine."

"Thanks again." She told him, pecking his cheek once more. "I don't know what I would do without you, Duck." She then headed out.

She quickly changed into an emerald green maternity sun dress she'd brought with her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt that she had to dress up a bit for the occasion. She pulled her hair down from the pony tail and brushed it out. She pulled the front half up out of her face into a clip at the back and left the rest down. She let out a small string of curse words when she realized that she had left her purse up in her desk.

Charity headed back to the squad room and marched over to her desk. "You look very nice." Ziva observed.

"What's the occasion boss?" Burley asked.

"If you must know, I'm having tea with the queen." Charity answered. She grabbed her purse from her desk and then headed out. "You're in charge while I'm gone." She called as the elevator doors closed.

"Tea with the queen?" Ziva asked.

"Tea with Tony's English grandmother." Burley replied.

"Oh, the one that reminds her of the queen." Ziva said, understanding lighting her features.

Charity soon parked her car outside the Great Pines Bed and Breakfast. She took a deep breath before getting out of the car and heading inside. She was led into a cozy sun room. There were three tables in the room all with white linen table clothes. Mrs. Paddington was sitting at one of them.

She looked up at Charity's approach. She smiled and glanced down at her watch. "Ten minutes early. That's something to admire."

"If I'm early I won't ever be late." Charity replied, reaching out her hand to shake Mrs. Paddington's.

Once they had shaken hands, Mrs. Paddington gestured for Charity to take the seat across from her. "Please, sit down."

Charity sat down. A waitress young woman came and served them tea and finger sanwhiches, then she left. Once she had left, Charity looked at Mrs. Paddington. "Thank you for inviting me." She said.

"Well, you are married to my grandson and carrying my great grandchild, I believe I should get to know you."

Charity nodded. "I would also like to get to know you."

"So, I hear that things weren't always the greatest between you and Anthony when you first met?"

Charity nodded. "That's right."

"What was wrong?" She asked.

"Tony, just pushed...and I wasn't used to anyone challenging me like that." Charity answered.

"I see." Grandma Paddington replied. "What was he pushing you about?"

"My past." Charity answered, feeling nervous at the thought of having to speak of her mother and sister again. It had been difficult to do with Tony, but she had needed to open up and he was the only person she really wanted to know her that way. "He ended up helping me work through it all and move on and in the process made me fall in love with him."

Grandma Paddington seemed to sense that they were moving into some painful territory for Charity. She decided that it would be best to leave that for another time. "So, what made you decide to become a federal agent?"

Charity had to hold back a sigh. It appeared that she wouldn't be able to avoid the subject of her family. "My father is a Marine...he was part of Desert Storm." Charity began. "And while he was deployed, my mom witnessed a murder on the base. Special Agent Franks and his team were in charge of the case and my mother, my sister, and I were taken into protective custody. One of the agents was driving our van...the drug dealer my mom was going to testify against shot the agent driving the car. My mom and Kelly, my sister, were killed in the crash. By a miracle, I survived. My dad went MIA shortly after that...and Mike took me in. He helped me to see that because of the things that I went through, that I could help others. Being an NCIS agent gave me a new purpose."

Mrs. Paddington was speechless for a few moments. She honestly hadn't been expecting an answer like that. "That must have been a terrible time for you." She said after a few moments. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Charity replied. "Thankfully, my father is alive and well. Tony helped me find him and bring him home safely just a few months ago."

"That's good news."

The two women sat in silence for a while, sipping their tea and nibbling at the finger sandwhiches. After a while, Mrs. Paddington looked at Charity and spoke up. "Why do you still choose to be an NCIS agent? It is dangerous and you have more than just yourself to think about."

"I know that I have more than just myself to think about." Charity replied. "My son is all I think about. I want to make this world safer for him...and the best way to do that is to keep doing my job...to keep taking these crazy messed up people off the streets."

"But doesn't your job put you in danger of having a miscarriage?"

"For the most part no." Charity answered. "I have a team of agents that I trust my life with. We're like a family, we look out for each other."

"I see." Grandma Paddington said. "What are you going to do with the baby when you have to return to work from your maternity leave?"

"My father is done with his service to the Marine Corps. He'll be glad to spend the time with his grandson." Charity answered. "You don't approve of my job, do you?"

"No." Mrs. Paddington answered. "I don't approve of a woman working period."

"Why don't we get straight to the point then." Charity replied. "You don't like me do you?"

"I haven't yet decided." Mrs. Paddington answered.

Charity nodded. "Well, it doesn't matter if you like me or not. I'm married to Tony and I'm having his baby. I'm a part of your family whether you like it or not." She then stood up. "I love Tony and I love our baby and our life together. I also happen to love my job and helping people find closure and justice for what has happened to their loved ones."

Mrs. Paddington smiled at Charity. "Well, I'm very impressed. My Elizabeth would have loved your tenacity and zeal. She would be proud to call you her daughter-in-law."

Charity looked at the old woman. "Is this your way of giving me your blessing?"

"It is. I like a woman who stands up for her principles. Please sit back down?"

Charity sat back down and she and Mrs. Paddington sipped their tea. They carried on a conversation and both women found themselves having a good time. After a while Charity excused herself and headed to see her father. She hadn't visited with him in a while and she missed him.

Gibbs...

Gibbs had woken up with Jenny next to him. They had shared coffee and a breakfast of eggs and toast. "So, when do you have to get going?" Gibbs asked her.

"Well, I cleared my schedule for the day...just in case." Jenny answered.

Gibbs smiled. "You sure you wanna spend the day with me?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered, smiling over her coffee.

So the pair spent the entire day together. They ended up going out for lunch and doing some shopping at the hardware store before coming back and going down in the basement. Jenny took in the sight of the wooden frame. "What's this?" She asked.

"A boat." Gibbs answered. "I started working on it twenty years ago."

"I see." Jenny replied. "Where are your power tools?"

"I don't use them." Gibbs answered. "I prefer to use hand tools."

Jenny looked at him. "Why on earth would you want to do that? Power tools make it so much easier and faster."

Gibbs grinned and picked up a hand sander. "Come here and I'll show you."

Jenny walked over to him. Gibbs put the tool in her hands and then positioned her in front of him, facing the boat. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands over hers. Then he began to move her hands with the grain of the wood.

"You feel that?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah." She answered.

"You don't get to feel wood like that with power tools." Gibbs told her, letting innuendo color his tone.

Jenny let out a soft laugh. "I see."

After a few moments, she felt Gibbs' lips on the side of her neck and the movement of their hands had ceased. Jenny dropped the tool and turned to face Gibbs. Their lips met in a passionate kiss and his hands began roaming over her body. Her hands moved over his, feeling every inch of him.

He began to unbutton her shirt and then tossed it aside. Jenny lifted Gibbs' shirt over his head and threw it with hers. It was then that a gasping sound interrupted them. They broke the kiss and looked up at the stairs and saw Charity standing there, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth.

The three of them all stood in place, shocked. Charity then turned and bolted up the stairs, moving fast considering how pregnant she was. "I'd better go after her." Gibbs said, walking over and picking his shirt back up.

"Yeah." Jenny agreed. She watched as Gibbs dashed up the stairs after his daughter and her agent. I'm sleeping with one of my best agent's father. She thought to herself. I should have thought this through better.

Gibbs raced up the stairs and out the front door, trying to catch up to Charity. Unfortunately, she was already in her car and starting it up when he made his way to the driveway. "Charity!" He called after her, but she ignored him and took off.