Author's Note:
Hello All…
I am not going to even try to apologize for the long delay in updating. My only excuse is that my baby is sleeping much less these days and so between feeds and nappy changes and my 8 to 5 job I am left too exhausted to work on my stories.
Anyway, here's an update. I hope you will review and I promise to try to find some time to continue writing…
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"What?!" Gibbs gasped, sitting bolt upright.
"Jethro!" Ducky admonished, pushing him back onto the bed.
"Aarrgghh…"
Gibbs' vision had gone from clear to black within a split second. Now bile sloshed up and down his esophagus threatening to spew out of his mouth and the pain in his head magnified tenfold.
"Agent Gibbs, you need to calm down." The nurse stated, checking his vital signs again.
"Jethro, take deep breathes." Ducky urged, the incessant beeping of Gibb's BP monitor making him nervous.
"Aarrgghh, she's lying." Gibbs growled, between breaths.
"Dr Mallard, I'm going to have to get him something stronger." The nurse said rushing out of the room.
"ME! How dare she accuse me? I have not made love to her…." Gibbs growled. Then his blurry eyes widened.
"The basement … when she used me!" Gibbs swore, this time unable to hold back the bile.
Thank fully Ducky had a steel kidney dish handy and was able to stop the vomit from landing on Gibbs' chest.
Once the retching stopped, Ducky wiped Gibbs lips clean and disposed of the kidney dish.
Gibbs continued gasping for breath and insisting that Jen had used him.
"Jethro, are you sure it wasn't you who took advantage of her?" Ducky decided that he needed Gibbs to know and understand the truth.
"I would never…" Gibbs didn't get any further.
"You were drunk, Jethro. Distraught beyond measure. You blamed yourself for young Emily's death." Ducky said softly. As expected the beeping of the monitors became louder. Nevertheless, Ducky pressed on.
"You were crying about Kelly too. You begged Jenny to take the pain away. You practically forced yourself on her and she let you."
Jethro refused to believe Ducky. His head ached and felt twice its normal size. His heart raced and seemed desperate to burst out of his chest. He was shocked, terrified and furious… with Jen and with Ducky.
I hate you… Jen!
How could you do this to me!
A baby … I'm not fit to be a father.
"God Damn it… I can't loose another one…" Gibbs gasped.
"Jethro, it's okay. You're not going to lose anything." Ducky placed a firm yet comforting hand on Gibbs' shoulder as Gibbs repeated his fears.
The nurse returned and administered 20cc of morphine into Gibbs' IV line. As she checked his vitals for a third time, the beeping of the BP monitor stopped. Gibbs sighed as his muscles turned to jelly and all the tension and pain ease out of his body.
"Jen … I … baby … aaammm…" Gibbs murmured as sleep tugged at him.
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Jen had forgotten that Tony was waiting outside for her.
"Madam Director, are you okay?" Tony asked when Jenny walked past him, moisture staining her eyes.
"Agent DiNozzo?" Jenny hastily blinked trying to get rid of the tears.
"Madam, you asked me to wait." Tony reminded her.
"Yes." The Director Jenny Sheppard was back in control, at least on the outside.
"I want to know if you're ready to give me the truth about what happened out there today."
"The truth… What we told you is the truth." Tony replied his eyes narrowing at being cornered.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure, Madam." Tony replied.
"Ahem. Get back to work, Agent DiNozzo." Jenny said.
She knew that there was more to the story and she knew that Ducky would eventually fill her in. She was also glad that Gibbs had the team that he did. Their covering for him was exactly what she expected of them. That was the Jethro way. Although since Emily's death Jethro had stopped doing, what was always considered the Jethro way. She hoped that the news she'd just given him would change that.
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Back at the office, McGee looked over his shoulder for the 100th time.
"She's going to fire all of us before she kills us."
"McGee, stop being such a baby. So where was she and with whom 6 to 8 weeks ago?" Abby asked before sipping on a Caf-Pow.
"She has only work meetings listed, a dinner at the White house on 12th of April, another with Ambassador Dybol on 15th of April. No other evening engagements." McGee sighed.
"Didn't Emily die 8 weeks ago?" Ziva asked as she skimmed through the case files that were handed to Jenny at that time.
"On the 8th of April there is a note on her PDA. Check on J. 9pm. You don't think…" McGee started.
"J as in Jethro!" Abby shrieked.
"Just because she checked in on him doesn't mean…" Ziva started as the elevator dinged.
McGee closed every file on his computer. Abby grabbed her Caf-Pow and rushed to the elevators at the back of the office. Ziva pretended to be working.
"Camp fire and you better have something for me." Tony's voice boomed.
"Tony!" Abby admonished, rushing back into the bullpen and smacking him on the arm.
"How's Gibbs?" Ziva asked.
"Why did the Director ask you to stay behind?" McGee asked.
"Where is the Director now?" Abby asked.
"One at a time, please."
"Gibbs?" Ziva asked.
"He was fine. Although I didn't check on him after Jenny left him. Ducky is still with him." Tony said.
"What did Jenny want?" McGee repeated.
"The truth about how Gibbs got hurt and no I didn't tell her. And Abby, I don't know where Jenny is right now, but I do know that she isn't here. So what do you have on that special project?"
"She attended…" McGee didn't get any further.
"She visited Gibbs the night Emily was killed." Abby blurted out.
"Whoa… Gibbs and Jen… doing the horizontal salsa?" Tony gasped.
"Tony, shut up." Ziva said looking around to make sure none of the other agents in the room heard them.
"Abby, how can we know for sure?" Tony asked.
"DNA testing." Abby said.
"I don't want any part of this." McGee insisted.
"Doesn't the baby have to be born for DNA testing to be done?" Ziva asked.
"Ahem." Abby replied.
"I can't wait that long. McGeek, trace the Director's GPS and check how long she was at Gibbs' house that night. Also check for subsequent visits although I doubt that since they're been fighting rather viciously the last few weeks." Tony said.
"I'm not tracing her…" McGee said.
Abby pulled his chair back and her fingers flew over his keyboard.
"She spent exactly 85minutes, 43seconds with Gibbs." Abby stated.
"That's it. Gibbs is our prime suspect until you find me someone else to consider." Tony stated a grin of absolute mischief on his face.
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Gibbs' peaceful sleep didn't last very long.
Soon Emily and Kelly were back, demanding answers, their blood draining from their bodies.
Then Jen was in front of him, her belly distended with his baby.
"Jethro, don't kill our baby the way you did the others…." Jenny begged.
"No!!" Gibbs screamed, as Jenny's stomach was sliced open with a scalpel and a dead, bloody, gooey mess slipped out of her. Then he saw that the scalpel was in his bloody hand.
"No!!" Gibbs continued screaming, the drugs in his system trapping him in this nightmare from hell.
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Author's Note:
That is it for this chapter.
I hope the direction I have taken has surprised you and is holding you captive….
Please let me have your thoughts…ASAP.
The next chapter sees a more coherent Gibbs reflecting on what Jen's pregnancy means… for him … them.
We will also see how Jen tries to accept her blossoming joy about the pregnancy.
And the team will be there to provide support and relief to Jen and Gibbs…
So stay tuned…. Thanks.