A/N: I hope you're all prepared for this chapter. Quite a bit happens in this one, including but not limited to: Gibbs learning something new about Jenny, broken bones, and Jenny's continued downward spiral. Hope you enjoy!
Shepard
The resounding crack of splintering bone as she was thrown to the ground made Jenny Shepard swear loudly, causing Tim McGee and Tony DiNozzo to pause, and she shook her head, waving them asway with her hand as she laid on the pavement.
"Go. If we lose this bastard, I'm firing both of you."
They nodded, running after their suspect, and Jenny moved onto her side, her left ankle twisted in such a way that it was beginning to make her nauseous. She pulled herself up using her arms, placing her weight on her right foot, and as she began carefully making her way in the direction her team had gone, she mentally cursed herself.
Why couldn't she have refused to stay in the field until this case was finished? She didn't owe it to anyone, wasn't responsible for it anymore, and it wasn't her problem now. Except it was. Even as she berated herself, Jenny knew there was no way she could have ever let her team go this one alone. They had started this together, they would damn well finish it together.
She could see someone coming closer to her, and when it finally registered that she recognized the figured in front of her, she glared at him, her sarcasm hardly masking the pain she was in.
"Don't tell me. You lost him."
"Nope," DiNozzo grinned, "McGee caught him. You should have seen him, Shep. You would have been so proud of our little Probie."
Jenny smiled, though it was only a brief flash, and when he noticed how pale she'd become, DiNozzo frowned, taking a step closer.
"You need to see a doctor. That looks bad."
She shook her head, taking another slow step, and when she stumbled, he caught her with an arm around her waist. She whispered her thanks, unable to speak any louder through the pain, and as they heard the sound of McGee's footsteps, DiNozzo took a deep breath.
"Probie, we're making a detour on the way back. Shepard needs to go to the hospital."
"I told you—"
"Look, Red, I know you don't want to hear this, but it's broken. You need to have it looked at before you mess it up so badly that you can't walk again."
One look at her swollen ankle made McGee nod, and as they climbed back into their car, Jenny shook her head in disgust. How could she have been so stupid?
As soon as Jenny had been cleared to leave, she had immediately made her way back to the Navy Yard, her left ankle now tightly wrapped and immobile, putting her in one of the worst moods her (former) team had ever seen her in. She enlisted Ducky's help walking up to the catwalk, and as she neared her new office, she frowned at the desk sitting just outside it, unused to seeing it empty.
Her new assistant wasn't due to arrive until the following day, and as she carefully unlocked the large silver door, she was struck with the feeling that she was doing something wrong. She knew she was being ridiculous, knew it was now her office to do with as she pleased, but the nagging feeling refused to leave her.
"Is something wrong?"
She shook her head.
"No, I just feel like I'm doing something I shouldn't be. Like I'm trespassing or something."
He laughed, patting her hand gently as he let go of her, watching intently as she sat carefully on the couch. She winced in pain but said nothing, merely smiling at him as he sat next to her, and as she pulled out her phone, she could feel his eyes following her movements.
"Your young man?"
"Ducky, he's in his forties," she reminded him.
"That, my dear, is young to me. Just as you yourself are."
"You should meet him. I think you'd really like him. Are you staying late, by any chance?"
"I hadn't planned on it, unless you need my services for something?"
She smiled.
"I could use a ride home. My car is a stick shift."
Ducky nodded, a smile on his face as he helped her up from the couch once more.
"Happy to, Jennifer."
Gibbs
Sweeping her up into his arms as soon as he saw the injury Jenny had sustained, Gibbs immediately won Ducky's approval, pretending not to hear her as she protested. The older man followed them into Jenny's apartment, shaking the marine's hand after he had placed the redhead on her couch, and gave him a warm smile.
"Doctor Donald Mallard, but you may call me Ducky. Everyone does."
Gibbs nodded.
"Gibbs. Jethro Gibbs. Nice to meet you. So you work with Jenny?"
He smiled, nodding as he handed Jenny a pillow to prop up her ankle, frowning when she winced.
"Would you like an aspirin, Jennifer?"
"No, thanks, Ducky. What I really need is a drink. A very large, very strong drink."
Looking at Gibbs pointedly, she gave him a smile when he nodded and the Scottish doctor followed him into the kitchen, frowning when he poured a good measure of bourbon into a glass.
"I wasn't aware you drank bourbon, my dear."
"It's an acquired taste," Jenny quoted, exchanging a look with Gibbs.
He brought it to her, kissing her cheek when she reached for the glass and as she took a long drink, he looked pointedly at the doctor. They both made their way back to the kitchen, Jenny too occupied with her drink to really pay them much attention.
"She say what happened?"
Ducky shook his head.
"No, but Anthony and Timothy told me once they'd returned. A suspect was running from them and he shoved Jennifer down a set of stone steps. All things considered, she's very lucky. She could have broken her neck."
Gibbs nodded, watching Jenny carefully from the corner of his eye as she placed her glass of bourbon on the table closest to her. She appeared to be almost sleeping now, and as she moved slightly to get more comfortable, he smiled as a sudden thought occurred to him.
"They give her any pain meds at the hospital?"
Ducky nodded.
"Yes."
"That explains it. She's not normally this…subdued. I can't wait to see what happens when it wears off."
The older man laughed, nodding once.
"You're quite right. You have my deepest sympathies. Good luck."
Gibbs smiled in silent thanks. He knew, if Jenny's past were anything to go by, he would definitely need it.
He kept watch over her all that night, worried that she would wake and be in pain, but she thankfully slept clear through until the next morning, though he never knew if that was a result of the medication in her system or her own exhaustion. When she opened her eyes early the next morning, she frowned at her surroundings, confused as to why she was on the couch rather than the bed, and when her eyes landed on him, she shook her head slowly.
"Have you been there all night?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
"Had to make sure you were okay," he answered simply.
She smiled softly, touched by the gesture, and when she attempted to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her broken ankle, making her gasp loudly. He was on his feet in a split second, kneeling next to her, and she shook her head.
"I'm fine. Just forgot for a minute. How did I get here?"
"Carried you," he said with a smirk, "Your friend from work is a good guy, by the way. The doctor."
Jenny nodded.
"Ducky's like my father. I love him like family. Anyway, I have to get dressed for work, so if you don't mind..."
He frowned.
"You're not serious. Jen, you have a broken ankle."
She shrugged.
"So? I've gone to work with worse. Just trust me, Jethro. Besides, I can't be late on my first day as Director. I have meetings to oversee, a new assistant to meet, and God knows what else to do. Now, if you aren't going to be able to keep quiet about it, then I'll have to ask you to leave. I'd hate to do that, because I quite enjoy being around you, so don't make a federal case about it."
He nodded, and as she carefully made her way into her bedroom, she searched her closet for something suitable to wear. Hm...a shopping trip was definitely in her future, seeing as nearly all of her clothing was better suited for field work than a political position. She had to have something, though. Finally, after a vigorous search, she found an old skirt that had once belonged to Heather, and as she pulled it from the hanger, she frowned. Surely there was no way it would fit her.
She pulled it up her legs, the fabric silky against her skin, and she frowned when she realised that it was slightly loose on her waist. How was that possible? Heather had always been smaller than she had. Especially at the end...
Jenny shook her head, not willing to go down that rabbit hole in her mind right now, and as she found a shirt that would pair nicely with her skirt, she ran her hand through her hair. Due to her broken ankle, she was forced to wear ballet flats, giving her at least a little balance, and as she finally finished applying her makeup, she gave herself a smile.
"You've got this, Shepard," she whispered.
She walked slowly back into the living room, laughing when she noticed Gibbs flipping through her record collection, and he turned, his eyes roaming over her quickly.
"You look great."
"Enjoying the music?" she asked, nodding at the records.
He nodded.
"You've got a wide range here, Jen. Tori Amos, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Elvis, Frank Sinatra...I'm impressed."
She smiled.
"That's why I bought them. To impress you," she said sarcastically.
Gibbs laughed, making his way closer to her, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she smiled, raising up to kiss him gently.
"What's a girl got to do to get a ride to work from you?"
"Come home when she's done," he said honestly, "and a kiss or two never hurt anyone."
She smiled, pulling him down to her, kissing him slowly, her tongue dancing over his lightly.
"I think I can manage that."
"I knew you could."
Shepard
As it turned out, news of her broken ankle had spread throughout the building fairly quickly, not that she had ever expected any differently, and as she carefully boarded the elevator, Jenny made sure to hold her head high. She was proud of the work she'd done, and no one was going to take that away from her. She reached the floor of her office without incident, and when she saw the young woman standing near the desk just outside of it, she smiled, holding out her hand.
"You must be Cynthia."
"Yes, ma'am. It's nice to meet you. Do you need any help with anything?"
Jenny shook her head.
"No. And please, try not to call me ma'am unless it's absolutely necessary. Director Shepard or Jenny is fine. Whichever you prefer."
"Yes, ma'am—I mean, Director Shepard."
Jenny smiled, moving to unlock her office, and as soon as she had closed the door behind her, she sighed, looking around it slowly. This was now her office...it had really happened...She sat down behind the desk, running her hands over the smooth wood, her eyes filling with tears as she leaned back in the chair.
"I wish you could see this, Heather. You would have loved it."
She had signed her name so many times by ten in the morning that she was sure her fingers were going to be permanently cramped, and as she reached for the next stack of papers waiting for her, she heard a small beep, followed by Cynthia's voice.
"Excuse me, Director, may I come in?"
Jenny smiled at the younger girl's politeness, and reached for the button, answering her quickly.
"Of course, Cynthia."
The door opened, and as Cynthia walked in, Jenny's eyes widened. In her hands, she carried a large bouquet of orchids, Jenny's favourite flower, and she placed the vase on her desk carefully, holding out the card.
"These just came for you. I thought you would want to know."
Jenny took the card from her, reading it slowly, and she smiled at the familiar handwriting.
For the most badass Director in the world. We love you, Shep. Good luck!-Tony and Tim
Thanking the young woman, Jenny dismissed her, her voice warm as she spoke.
"Tell Agents DiNozzo and McGee that I want to see them at the end of the day, please."
Cynthia nodded, and as she closed the door behind her, Jenny had never felt more loved in her life.
Hours later, Jenny's head was in her hands as she listened to the conference call on her speaker phone, making her wonder why she had taken this job, and though it was nearing its close, she still had never wanted to pull her hair out more. Her phone vibrated, signaling a text, and when she read the words on the screen, they suddenly made all the aggravation worth it.
Have a great first day! You're gonna kick ass and take names. Love you.
She texted him back quickly, half-listening to the conversation taking place, and as she finished typing, she smiled again.
I'm about to scream, but it'll be okay. Love you, too.
"Is there anything you'd like to add, Director Shepard?"
Jenny jumped, startled, and took a slow breath to compose herself.
"No, thank you. Everything sounds great on our end."
Finally. It was over. She disconnected the call after all the final pleasantries had been exchanged, and as she reached for her now-cold coffee, she sighed. This was going to be the longest day ever and all she really wanted to do was curl up on her bed and be held, told that everything was going to work out, both in her professional and personal life, and as her phone rang again, she shook her head slowly.
"Shepard."
"Jenny, this is Natalie from Brooksfield Hospital. I just wanted to make you aware of the fact that since we've put in the feeding tube, your mother is doing much better. However, she has been asking to see you, and I think it would be in your best interest to do so. I'll keep you updated as the day goes on."
"Thanks, Natalie. I can probably come by in about an hour. Will you let me know if anything changes in that time?"
"Of course."
"Thank you again."
She hung up, feeling more than a little guilty for making the decision she had, but she'd done it and there was no going back now. She'd been unable to stand the thought of losing her last living family member and after discussing it with Gibbs more than once, she'd finally decided to have the doctors place the feeding tube. She knew she was only prolonging the inevitable, but she didn't care. She was still just a little girl inside who desperately needed her mother.
As she sat next to the hospital bed, listening to her mother chatter away, she smiled sadly, reaching out to take her hand slowly. Madelyn's thin fingers wrapped around her hand, and though she knew her mother didn't have the slightest clue who she was, it made Jenny feel instantly calmer.
"The grasshoppers are a little put out that the children catch the fireflies at night. They're losing their friends, and the butterflies are losing their wings."
Jenny said nothing, simply holding her hand, and when Madelyn looked at her suddenly, she instinctively held her breath, waiting to see if she would recognise her.
"Your hair is like winter fire," she said softly, "My daughter has hair like that."
Jenny smiled sadly, her eyes filling with tears.
"Does she?"
Madelyn nodded.
"Her name is Jenny. She's always been my little fireball. Heather was always the quiet brooding type, but Jenny...her temper could flare up over anything. I love them both so much. I wish she would visit soon. She's so busy, but she always makes time for Heather and me. I want to tell her how much she means to me, and how much I love her."
"I'm sure she knows," Jenny whispered.
"The flowers will tell her. They're so considerate. But, it's almost time for tea, and she always comes at tea time. So does Heather. They're such good girls, both of them. Jenny has a nice young man in her life, and I hope he treats her well. But it's almost tea time."
Madelyn looked at her again, and smiled, squeezing her hand gently.
"Your hair is so beautiful. My daughter has hair like that."
"Thank you," Jenny said, blinking and not even caring about the tears that fell onto her skin.
A hand on her shoulder made Jenny turn, and when she saw the person standing in front of her, she had to fight to keep from throwing herself into his arms.
"Ducky, what are you doing here?"
"I went to your office to tell you that I know what killed our Staff Sergeant, and Cynthia told me you'd come here. I wanted to make sure everything was alright."
Madelyn was still talking quietly to herself, her words making little sense to anyone but her, and as he looked at her, the Scottish doctor frowned, his eyes sad.
"I see there's been only physical improvement."
Jenny nodded, for once letting her guard down as she released her hold on her mother's hand, standing and immediately falling into Ducky's arms.
"What do I do, Ducky?" she said quietly, her voice breaking.
"Exactly what you're doing. You've done everything right, and just by being here, you're making the right decision. If you hadn't, you would have regretted it for the rest of your life."
He glanced down at her, noticing that she was standing on only one foot, putting no weight at all on the broken ankle, and he led her to the small couch that had been placed in the room. It wasn't the most comfortable of couches, but it was better than nothing, and as he held her in his arms, he ran his hand over her hair slowly.
"This isn't fair. I know Heather was in pain, but she had no right to do this to her," Jenny said angrily, her tears dampening his shirt.
"You know as well as I do that Heather had no way of knowing what would happen, my dear. If she had, she would still be here. Heather loved you and your mother more than she loved even herself, and her death proves that."
"How do you figure that, Ducky? She left me here to deal with not only my own pain but the pain of her dying, and she destroyed my mother!"
"No, Jennifer," he said gently, tilting her head up so he could look at her eyes, "She felt as though she was causing you more pain by living, by forcing you to watch her suffer and not being able to help her, she thought she was burdening you by being alive. She thought that was the only choice she had to stop hurting you. She was wrong, so very, very wrong, but her intentions were selfless."
He kissed her cheek gently, brushing away the hair clinging to her damp skin.
"You yourself have struggled with depression, though not as severe as Heather's. I know you're aware that what I'm saying is the truth, but you're in too much pain to see it. And that's okay. Just remember that she didn't intend for this to happen."
"Did I make the right choice?" she whispered, "Keeping her here just so I wouldn't have to live without her? That was selfish of me."
"We all do things for selfish reasons at times, my dear. It's only natural to want to keep your mother alive as long as you can. For what it's worth, I think there were no right decisions here. You did what you thought was best, and that's all anyone can ask of you."
Jenny wasn't convinced and as she turned her attention to the woman in the bed in front of her, her arms tied down by restraints, a mere shadow of the person she'd once been, she'd never felt more confused and helpless.
Gibbs
When Jenny opened the door to her apartment, he didn't think he'd ever seen her look quite as exhausted as she did then, and he gave her a quick kiss, hoping he wasn't bothering her.
"Long day?"
She nodded, moving back to allow him in, and as she walked slowly around her living room, Gibbs frowned, looking at her seriously.
"Don't you have crutches to be using?"
She rolled her eyes, hopping to the couch with a laugh.
"Too slow. It's just as easy for me to hobble around this way."
"You're gonna break that even worse if you don't stay off it. Sit down and let me help you."
"Is there an incentive if I do?" she asked playfully, looking at him with an expression he knew well.
"Might be. But you have to actually do what I tell you to do. Otherwise, no kiss for you."
Jenny pouted for a moment but then brightened when he returned from the kitchen holding a glass filled with bourbon, taking it from him with a smile. He kissed her once before sitting down on the opposite end of the couch, allowing her to lay her legs across his own, and when he inquired after her day, she gave him an odd look that took him a moment to interpret. There was pride, happiness, anxiety, and underneath it all, there was a sadness that he hadn't expected on her first day of her new job.
"It was okay," she said finally, "I went to see my mother."
He frowned at her words, hoping nothing major had happened, and she must have known what he was thinking, because she quickly backtracked, reaching for his hand in reassurance.
"She was fine, physically. Talked quite a bit while I was there, though none of it made sense. I feel so conflicted, because I wish I could go back to a time before all of this happened, but at the same time, I don't want to. Because then I would have never met you, and you make me happier than I've ever been in my life."
He kissed her hand gently, waiting for her to finish, and as she downed the last of the bourbon in her glass, she met his eyes slowly.
"Are you opposed to helping me do something that might be detrimental to my overall health tonight?"
"Depends on what it is."
"I'm going to get so drunk that I can't even remember my name," she informed him firmly, "and doing it without your help will be more difficult. So, are you willing to help?"
He nodded.
"Only if you share."
She smiled.
"When have I ever been anything less than courteous in that regard, Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"
He had to admit, she had a point.
True to her word, Jenny managed to get so drunk that night that Gibbs knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn't remember much of the evening. Every so often, he would ask her a different question to gauge just how intoxicated she was, and when he finally asked his last one, she laughed outright, remembering her words from earlier.
"What's your middle name?"
"Very funny, Jethro," she said, laying her head back on a pillow.
"I'm serious. You know my full name. What's yours?"
At first, he was sure she was going to refuse to answer, and then when she finally spoke, her voice was so soft that he almost missed it.
"Lorraine. It was my grandmother's name. There. Now you know. My full name is Jennifer Lorraine Shepard."
"Huh...they're my first and middle initials just flipped around. That's kind of interesting, Maybe we were meant to be together."
"You know what they say, Jethro: everything happens for a reason."
He smiled, leaning closer to kiss her, his hand running over her leg slowly, and when she tried to deepen the kiss, he pulled away, shaking his head.
"We can't, Jen. You've got a broken ankle. I don't want to hurt you."
She sighed, annoyed by his concern, but nodded, looking at him carefully.
"Jethro?"
"Hm?"
"I'm extremely drunk."
He nodded.
"I can see that. But you're remarkably coherent. You hold your liquor really well."
Jenny laughed, holding her glass up in a mock salute.
"Well, I'm a pretty remarkable person. Thank you."
Yes, he agreed silently, Jennifer Lorraine Shepard was an incredibly remarkable person.
When he opened his eyes, Gibbs' senses were flooded by the scent of Jenny's perfume, and he frowned after he realised they were in her bedroom. He didn't even remember walking to the room, though he knew he must have, and he dimly wondered how Jenny had gotten here. Surely she hadn't tried to walk. But deep down, he knew she had. Jenny wasn't one to ever willingly admit defeat, and she hated asking for help.
Jenny shivered in the cold of the morning and unconsciously moved closer, seeking more of his warmth even in her sleep. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head gently, and smiled as she buried her head in his chest.
"I love you, Jen," he whispered.
He knew now, as he held her in his arms, that there was no going back, that he loved her too much to ever walk away, and when she slowly blinked, he gave her a smile.
"Morning."
"Morning," she said quietly, "Can you hand me the bottle of aspirin? My ankle and my head are both killing me."
He nodded, handing her the bottle, and as she popped the pills into her mouth, he frowned as she swallowed them dry, shaking his head.
"How can you do that?"
"I get chronic migraines. I'm used to taking aspirin as soon as I get one, so I learned how to swallow them without water."
As she slowly sat up, she shook her head, closing her eyes as she tried to move her ankle to be more comfortable. He took one of the pillows from the floor and propped her leg up with it, giving her a pointed look.
"You have today off. Why don't you just let me take care of you and get some rest? Please."
She considered his words carefully, and as she finally nodded, he kissed her again, a smile on his face.
"Thank you."
"Don't say I never did anything for you."
Shepard
The next few weeks were a nightmare for Jenny as she struggled to keep her sanity, spending the time in her office trying to walk as little as possible, and when her intercom beeped one Friday afternoon, she jumped, swearing quietly.
"Director, I'm leaving for lunch. Would you like me to bring you anything back?"
"No, thank you, Cynthia."
Truth be told, Jenny hadn't eaten at all that day, too afraid of what she would do if she did, so she had decided it was best to just remove the temptation altogether. She hadn't told anyone of the now-daily purging that had been taking place, too scared and ashamed to admit that she'd fallen back into old habits, and as she sat behind her desk, she ran her hand through her hair.
The strands clinging to her fingers were all the physical proof she needed of her stress level, and when she tossed the hair into the trash, she sighed. She hadn't expected this to be how she spent her days, worrying about her mother, purging every meal, and trying to stay off of a broken ankle, but it seemed as though the universe had other ideas.
She was struggling with the thoughts in her head, nearly driving her insane at every turn, though she never let it outwardly show, and if she was being entirely honest with herself, she knew it was only a matter of time before her sarcasm and distance failed her. She'd spent the better part of the night before trying to convince herself that she was just being stupid, but the thoughts refused to leave her alone, and as she pulled out her phone, she couldn't keep her hands from shaking. She knew she had to find out the truth before she lost her nerve, and as she dialed, she spun in her chair, biting the end of her fingernail absentmindedly.
"Yeah. Gibbs."
"Are you busy right now?"
"Not really. Why?"
"Need to ask you something."
She took a deep breath, painfully aware of the pounding of her heart in her chest, and when she finally spoke, her words came out in a rush.
"Jethro, do you still love me?"
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"
"I just..." she paused, unsure of how to tell him, "I just needed to be sure."
"Jen," his voice was gentle, slightly concerned, "what brought this on? Something's been bothering you for weeks now, and I want to help, but if you don't tell me, I can't."
She sighed, feeling the need to move, cursing her broken ankle with each passing second, and she shook her head, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't see her.
"I don't know. I'm just feeling a little unsure of everything right now. My job, my mother, you...I can't really explain it. I feel like I'm losing control of my life, and nothing I do seems to make it any better."
He was silent for a long moment, making her more nervous with each minute that dragged by, and when he finally spoke, she released the breath she'd been holding, not even noticing that her fingers were gripping the edge of her desk so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
"You'll always have me, Jen. Unless you get sick of me and tell me to leave. I'm not going anywhere and if there's anything I can do to help give you a sense of control, all you have to do is ask."
She smiled, feeling a little bit better, and as she answered him, she realised her heart rate had returned to almost normal now.
"I love you, Jethro. And thank you."
"I love you, too."
Jenny's eyes were burning with tears as she stuck her fingers down her throat, coughing as she did so, her knees screaming at her for kneeling for so long. She'd always hated purging in public places, but when she'd not been able to get out of the lunch meeting she'd had with the Board of Directors, she'd known that she had no other choice. She'd managed to keep herself together until she'd returned to the Navy Yard, bolting for the nearest restroom she could find, and as she checked the room to make sure it was empty, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The sight of her own blood no longer caused her any alarm, though she knew it should have, and now she used it as her marker, knowing that once she saw the red in the water, she could stop. She should have worried that she was going down a path that was potentially fatal, but she couldn't bring herself to care, needing the control that the daily purging gave her. She gathered her hair at the base of her neck with one hand, not wanting to cause a mess, and with her right she shoved her fingers down her throat, thankful that she'd had the presence of mind to drink plenty of water while she'd been eating. It always made the process much easier.
She lost count of how many times her fingers went to the back of her throat, but when she finally tasted blood and saw it in the mix, she sat back, careful not to put any weight on her left ankle. She stood slowly, flushing away the evidence of her sins, and as she made her way to the sink to wash her hand, she frowned at the woman reflected in the mirror. Her skin was so pale, streaked with tears, and her hands refused to stop shaking as she washed them, making her feel more weak and pathetic than she'd felt in years, and she shook her head.
"Get your shit together, you little bitch," she whispered.
She dried her hands and dabbed at the tears under her eyes, taking great pains to not smudge her makeup, and as she walked slowly to the door, she painted a smile on her face. Perfect. No one would ever know. They simply couldn't know.
"Jennifer? Are you alright?"
She tilted her head as she turned, not wanting him to see any evidence of what she'd just done, and smiled.
"Of course, Ducky. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem to be limping a bit more than usual. Is your ankle bothering you? I can take a look, if you'd like."
The relief that washed over her was so strong that she nearly laughed and she shook her head.
"No, I'm okay. Thank you, though. I've only got about a week and a half until it's fully healed."
He still looked skeptical but nodded, giving her a smile as they walked down the hallway.
"As long as you're sure. While I have you, I wanted to let you know that Abigail should have the results of that blood test Anthony sent her by now."
Jenny smiled, making her way up the steps slowly.
"Thanks, Ducky. But you didn't have to come all this way just to tell me that."
They were nearing her office now, and as they passed Cynthia, she nodded her head at the younger woman, opening the door easily.
"I didn't," Ducky answered, "I also wanted to inquire after your mother. Has there been any change at all?"
Jenny shook her head, her eyes sad now.
"No. She's still speaking to the plants and talking about butterflies, caterpillars, you name it. She's not making any sense at all."
Ducky hugged her gently, his eyes kind as he looked into her emerald ones.
"I am so sorry, my dear. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
Jenny smiled.
"Thanks, Ducky."
"Jethro, put me down."
"Not a chance."
"Put me down, or I'll shoot you."
Finally, he placed Jenny on her feet, eyeing her warily as she tested putting weight on her ankle, and when she gave him a bright smile, he returned it, happy to see the light in her eyes.
"Watch out world, Jenny Shepard is entirely mobile again."
He laughed, watching her as she spun on her heel, her long red hair flying out behind her as she moved. She laughed when he lifted her off her feet, spinning her in a circle, and as as he lowered her back to the ground, he kissed her, a smile on his face.
"You should do that more often," he told her.
She frowned, not sure of what he meant and looked at him in confusion.
"Do what?"
"Laugh. You've got the most beautiful laugh in the world."
As she smiled, he reached for her hand, pulling her down the street and making their way to his truck. He lifted her into the cab, kissing her before he closed the door, and when he made it back to his side of the vehicle, she gave him a strange look.
"What?"
"I love you," she said simply.
"I love you, too."
As he put the truck in gear and began driving, Jenny's phone rang and when she pulled it from her pocket, she felt Gibbs reach for her hand, making her smile.
"Shepard."
She listened to the voice on the other end of the line, and as he drove, he noticed that her grip on his hand had suddenly tightened, and when he glanced at her, the look on her face was enough to cause him to feel worried. She nodded once, thanking whoever she'd been talking to, and when she let the phone fall from her hand, he slowed down, pulling off to the side of the road.
"Jen?"
She didn't so much as look at him, making his blood freeze, and he frowned.
"Jen, what is it?"
Finally, she looked at him, her emerald eyes so distant and empty that he knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"My mother is dead."
A/N: To be fair, I did warn you...
