Family Portrait, Family Shadows

A/N - Hello Fans! Been several years since my last visit. My muse left me for a while. A long while. But hopefully, I'm back to get some work done on my stories in progress. Which is several. I mean, like, a LOT. So please show some love after reading this chapter, and leave a review or a like, or a following. I could use the confidence !

CHAPTER 12

Jeanne Benoit stood outside the closed door of Abigail DiNozzo's hospital room, taking in the scene through the window. That... that... creature... was lying on the bed, a child on either side of her, and Tony – her Tony – was kissing the woman's fingers and wiping away her tears as they both laughed at the antics of the little boy.

This was so not right. She gritted her teeth as her hands unwittingly clenched into fists. This wasn't supposed to have happened! Tony was hers! She'd gone away after her father had been murdered. She'd needed time to think, to heal. To forgive. And now she was ready to forgive Tony for his part in the whole fiasco, to pick up where they'd left off. But apparently, Tony hadn't done the same. He'd married. Had children. Children that should have been hers. He'd gone from a doctor to... to... this!

Jeanne's mouth curled into a snarl as she watched Tony and his... wife... kiss. Ohhhh, this woman, Abigail... she'd pay for this!

NCIS... NCIS... NCIS... NCIS

Gibbs walked off the elevator nearest Abby's room with a cardboard drink holder in one hand and a white pastry bag in the other. Coffee for him, some fancy tea thing for Abby, since her doctor strictly forbade large doses of caffeine for her, and cookies from Abby's favorite bakery.

He'd spent the afternoon with his "grandchildren," explaining briefly what had happened to mommy so they wouldn't be scared when they saw her.

Turning the corner to Abby's hallway, Gibbs stopped short when he saw someone lurking outside Abby's room. A closer look at who it was made his gut churn. Dr. Jeanne Benoit. He huddled closer to the wall and observed her. He didn't have to see her face to know how she was feeling, the anger rolled off her in waves. It was there in the rigidness of her body, the clenching of her jaw and fists. Jeanne Benoit had wreaked havoc on his family all those years ago. Gibbs was not going to let it happen again.

NCIS... NCIS... NCIS... NCIS

Jeanne spun around with a gasp at the sound behind her, her mind racing for excuses for being at this particular door. But there was nothing – no one – there. She sighed and rolled her eyes at her nervousness. She turned back toward the door and jumped in fright when she saw who was now standing between her and the door. Where had he come from?

NCIS... NCIS... NCIS... NCIS

Gibbs smiled at the doctor's surprise. Yeah, he still had it! "Dr. Benoit," he droned quietly, blue eyes blazing.

Jeanne tried to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. "Agent Gibbs," she stuttered, again fumbling for excuses to be there.

"You're not on this case," he said softly, pointing out the obvious.

Jeanne's mouth opened and closed, unable to make a sound. "I... I was just..."

Leaning closer, Gibbs got into her personal space to make her more uncomfortable. "Leaving," he said firmly, "you were just leaving," he all but whispered in that low, dangerous tone of his. Again, she tried to speak, but Gibbs beat her to it. "He's happy, Jeanne," he said softly. "They're happy. You were an assignment, nothing more. Even back then, it was Abby for him. Has been since they first met at NCIS." He stepped aside slightly so she could see into the room, where Tony now sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing his son on his knee, as Abby tickled their daughter. "Let them be, Jeanne. If you ever felt anything at all for Tony... let him be." He stared into her eyes, drilling the message home wordlessly.

With a last look into the room, Jeanne frowned, then turned and walked away. As he watched her walk away, back straight, head held high, Gibbs had a feeling in his gut that this wasn't over.

NCIS... NCIS... NCIS... NCIS

A/N: Well, there's my first new chapter in, like, a decade. I hope you all enjoyed it, and will leave me a nice, welcome back good review! Thanks for waiting for me!

Smush68