"Jethro, did you hear me?" Ducky questions as Gibbs leans against the autopsy table.
"What, Duck?" He makes eye contact.
"There was nylon fiber under the victim's fingernails."
"Did you give it to Abby?"
"Of course. Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you have been incredibly distracted all day."
"You're right, I have been."
"Something on your mind?"
"There are a million things on my mind," he admits.
"Something in particular that you want to talk about?"
"Nothing that I really want to talk about."
"Maybe you should try anyway," he suggests.
"Maybe," he nods.
"Now. You should try now," Ducky clarifies.
"I certainly did not see this coming," he admits.
"See what coming, Jethro?"
"And this late in life. It just makes me feel old."
"Jethro what are you talking about?"
He locks eyes with Ducky, "She's pregnant."
Ducky furrows his brow, "Who?"
"Mac."
"Yes, I believe I knew that. Why does that have you in such a quandary?"
"It's mine."
"What is yours?"
"The baby."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The child that she is carrying is mine."
"Yours? I don't understand."
"I am the father."
"You're telling me that Miss MacKenzie is currently pregnant, and you are the father of the child that she is carrying?"
"Yes," he nods in confirmation.
"How did that happen?"
Jethro shrugs, "It just happened, I guess."
"When did you find out?"
"Yesterday."
Vance finds Jethro standing in front of his desk. He furrows his brow.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I need a few days off."
"Okay," Vance agrees.
"Okay? Just like that? We have a massive caseload right now, and you're going to approve time off without even knowing what it's for?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Agent Gibbs, you never ask for time off. If you do there must be an incredibly valid reason. I know you well enough to know that it is not a good idea to press you for details. If you want me to know you'll tell me."
"Are you sure?"
"How many days are we talking?"
"Two, maybe three."
"That's fine by me."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. Effective immediately."
"Okay," Gibbs nods in agreement.
She moves towards the sound of the doorbell. She pulls the door open, and finds Agent Gibbs on her doorstep. She furrows her brow.
"What are you doing here?"
"I think that we need to talk."
"Okay," she agrees, motioning for him to come in.
He follows her into the kitchen.
"Can I offer you a cup of coffee?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Gibbs, what brings you here?"
"Have a seat," he points to the table.
She nods in agreement, and joins him at the table.
"Mac, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how we are going to make this work."
"You think that I do?"
He shrugs, "I don't know."
"Why don't you start by telling me what you want?"
He furrows his brow, "What do you mean?"
"How do you picture your relationship with this baby? I need to know how involved you want to be."
"I want to be there."
"Define it," she insists.
"I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to squander any opportunities that I have to spend time with my child. I don't want to make the same mistakes that I did with Kelly."
"I grew up as an only child."
"So did, I."
"I am terrible at sharing. I don't share feelings, or belongings very well. I had a very difficult time sharing my daughter with Harm."
"What are you saying?"
"If you want to be in, then I need you to be all in."
"I don't know what all in, is for you."
"I need you to be here."
He allows a moment for that to sink in. She continues as he processes.
"My life is full of chaos. It is messy, and crazy, and I bring a lot of baggage to the table. I will push you away every chance that I get. I am difficult to be with."
"So am I. Mac, it doesn't matter."
"Don't tell me that unless it's the truth."
"You know, I have spent most of my life running. After I lost Shannon, and Kelly, I realized that I never wanted to feel loss like that again. I felt like my entire world had come down around me. I married, and divorced, and I was never happy. People don't want to be in a relationship with someone who isn't present. I could never be present, because I could never take the armor off. I could never get that close to anyone again, because I was afraid of what would happen. I put so much time, and energy into my job, because I knew that it mattered. Along the way I forgot about what really matters. I want to spend my life with someone who is my equal. I need more than what I've got."
"I have a daughter, and she means to world to me. For such a long time all I wanted was my career. I was so hungry for it, that I let relationships crumble around me. One day the clock started ticking, and I realized that I was running out of time to have the family that I wanted one day. I had put everything else on the backburner. I am complicated, and when it comes to relationships, I have yet to have a successful one. I have always had to try so hard."
He grins, "So stop trying."