A/N: Hello, my lovelies! I'm not sure when my next update will be, so I hope you enjoy this one. Consider it my Christmas gift to you! Also, for all intents and purposes, we're going to pretend that Smartphones were a thing in the late 90s, okay?


Shepard

From the moment Jenny opened her eyes, she could sense that something was different, and as she nestled closer into Gibbs' sleeping embrace, it finally came to her. Carly. Glancing at the clock sitting on her nightstand, Jenny sighed, blinking hard as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. She needed coffee in the worst way if she was to be expected to deal with a teenager this early in the morning. She pulled on her favourite pair of Christmas pajamas, running her hands through tangled hair, and when a few strands clung to her fingers, she frowned.

Quietly, so as not to wake Gibbs, she made her way out of the bedroom, her steps light, and when she noticed that Carly was already awake, she paused. The young girl was sitting on the couch, her bag open next to her, her nose buried in a book. Jenny cleared her throat softly, not wanting to startle her, and as she glanced up, Carly gave her a smile.

"Morning," she said warmly, "There's coffee in the kitchen if you want it."

"Morning," Jenny replied, returning her smile, "Did you sleep okay?"

Carly nodded, turning her attention back to the book held in her lap.

"Yeah. I just woke up about half an hour ago."

Jenny smiled, making her way into her kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"What are you reading?" she called softly, grabbing her cup as she walked back to the living room.

"Just studying. I'm taking Advanced Placement classes this year, and I have to study more than usual."

Her words reminded Jenny of something she'd been meaning to discuss with her, and she nodded thoughtfully.

"Carly...about your schooling...if you're going to be staying here, I think it would make more sense to switch schools. We can take care of it on Monday morning if you like."

Carly froze, her wide blue eyes locking on Jenny as she sat down in the chair across from her, shaking her head slowly.

"You mean...you're letting me stay?"

Jenny nodded, giving her a smile before taking a long drink of her coffee.

"Of course I am. I'm not going to let you keep living on the street. We can go today and pick up your car, maybe stop by a few stores and pick out some new clothes, whatever you want."

Jenny barely had time to place her coffee cup on the table in front of her before Carly launched herself across the room, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jenny smiled, hugging her back, her eyes suddenly moist for some reason.

"You're welcome."


As it turned out, shopping with Carly was more fun than Jenny had expected it to be, and as they walked around the various shops together, she found herself smiling more than she had in weeks. Something about Carly reminded her of her sister and she could already feel herself growing fiercely protective of the younger girl. She was old enough to be her mother (though just barely), knew next to nothing about her, and yet she knew she would do just about anything to protect her.

They had dropped Carly's car off at Jenny's apartment, reasoning that it would be simpler to just have one vehicle out and about, and when Jenny glanced up from her phone to see the younger girl standing in front of her, wearing a deep red shirt, covered with black roses, she smiled.

"You look great," she said earnestly, "and based on that shirt alone, I have someone in mind for you to meet. Her name is Abby, and you're going to love her."

"Are you sure about all this? These clothes are kind of expensive, I don't want—"

"Listen, little one," Jenny told her with a smile, throwing her arm around her shoulder, "If you're going to stay with me, you're going to have to trust me. Okay?"

Carly nodded, smiling as she pulled the shirt over her head, and as she did so, the shirt she'd been wearing underneath it rose up, giving Jenny a glimpse of her body beneath it. Her ribs were clearly visible and Jenny felt her heart fall at the sight. She said nothing, however, and as they gathered the clothing she'd chosen, Carly hugged her again, her eyes bright.

"I can never thank you enough for this, Jenny. Seriously. You're the best."

Jenny shook her head, smiling as she paid for the items in front of her.

"Far from it, little one. I'm just someone who happens to be a good actress. I don't have all my ducks in a row. I don't even have ducks. Or a row. I have a brain-dead goose. And it frequently runs into traffic."

Carly laughed, grabbing one of the many bags from the counter, and as they made their way back to Jenny's car, she stopped, looking at the redhead curiously.

"Jenny?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

Jenny was silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to answer her, and finally spoke as she opened her door, sliding behind the wheel.

"You remind me of my sister. She died awhile back, suicide. And besides, I kind of like you."

The smile that Carly gave her was warmer and brighter than the December sun.


Gibbs

Christmas morning found Gibbs waking up much earlier than usual to sneak quietly over to his own apartment, taking great care with the wrapped gift in his hand, and as slowly closed Jenny's front door, he smiled to himself. Mission accomplished.

"You know, if you wanted to be inconspicuous, you should have sprayed some WD-40 on the hinge," came a soft but amused voice from behind him.

Gibbs whipped around at the sound, feeling more than a little relieved when he realised that it hadn't been Jenny who had spoken. Carly was watching him from her seat on the couch, eyebrows raised in amusement, a mug of steaming coffee held in her hands.

"Little early for you to be up, isn't it?"

"I could say the same to you," she countered, taking a small sip of coffee, "You're the one sneaking around at 5am."

Gibbs nodded, conceding her point, and as he placed the gift under the tree, he gave her a knowing smile.

"Wouldn't be much of a Christmas if Jenny found her present, now would it?"

Carly shrugged.

"I guess."

The sound of Jenny's alarm going off made them both turn, and when they heard the redhead mutter a few choice words, Gibbs laughed quietly, shaking his head as he made his way towards the coffee pot. When Jenny finally made it down the hallway, running her fingers through her hair, she gave them both a suspicious look as she pulled her favourite mug from the cabinet.

"Why do you both look like you're plotting something?"

Gibbs smiled, wrapping his arm around her as she walked closer.

"Nope. Just waiting for you so we can get started opening gifts."

Nodding slowly, Jenny made her way into the living room, reaching down to turn on her Christmas tree. Warm multi-coloured light filled the room, and Gibbs smiled as he joined her on the floor in front of it, reaching for his gift first. Handing it to Jenny, he smiled at both her and Carly, anxiously awaiting Jenny's reaction.

Damn, he hoped he hadn't royally screwed up...


Shepard

As she held the canvas in her hands, Jenny Shepard found that while her eyes were functioning just fine, her vocal chords seemed to have a massive malfunction. Staring back at her, each of their bright blue eyes perfectly captured in beautiful hues, were the faces of her mother and sister. The artwork was exquisite, the depth and shading astounding, and when Jenny was finally able to tear her eyes away from it, they locked on Gibbs', filled with tears.

"Where did you get this?"

He shrugged.

"Looked through one of your photo albums and found a picture of your mom and Heather. Took it to Abby and asked her if she could paint it."

Jenny frowned, glancing down at the painting again.

"Abby painted this? My Abby?"

Gibbs nodded, moving slightly closer to her, kissing her cheek.

"Yep. She seemed pretty excited to do it. I paid her quite a bit, too."

Jenny carefully placed the painting next to her, not wanting to risk ruining it, and threw her arms around Gibbs, kissing him hard.

"You sentimental bastard," she said, kissing him again, "I love you."

He smiled, resting his chin on the top of her head, running his hand over her hair.

"Thought you might like it."

Jenny nodded, pulling herself out of his embrace, and as she made her way back under the tree, she gave him an uncharacteristically nervous smile.

"This is yours."

She handed him the carefully wrapped box, exchanging a glance with Carly over on the couch, and as he began pulling the paper away, Gibbs gave her a serious look.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

Jenny shrugged.

"Thought you might like it."

As he lifted the lid on the large box, he frowned, his eyes refusing to believe what they were seeing. An intricate wooden toolbox was resting inside the wrapping, and as he ran his fingers over the smooth surface, Jenny nodded.

"Open it."

Nodding once, he did as she asked, and as he ran his fingers over the letters of his name, Jenny smiled.

"I had it engraved with your name. Just in case someone steals it. It's for your boat. I know you already have tools, so I didn't buy any, but if you would rather I—"

"It's perfect, Jen," he interrupted with a smile, "How did you afford this?"

"Sold a few organs on the black market," she quipped.

Gibbs laughed quietly, and when he realised that they were alone in the room, he frowned. Carly was nowhere to be seen and as he pointed this out to Jenny, Gibbs stood, wondering where she could have gone. A quick search found her in the bedroom, sitting silently on the bed, and as they both entered, Jenny and Gibbs exchanged a quick look.

"Carly, what are you doing in here?"

"It's your Christmas. I didn't want to be in the way."

Jenny shook her head, smiling gently as she sat down next to her, placing a hand on her knee.

"We didn't forget you," she said softly, "Close your eyes."

After Gibbs' affirming nod, Carly closed her eyes, and as Jenny reached into her back pocket with her left hand, she took Carly's hand in her right. She dropped something small into it, and when she let go of the young girl's hand, she smiled.

"Okay, open."

Carly's eyes opened, widening when she saw the small metal key resting in her palm, and she raised her wide blue eyes to them, hardly able to speak.

"It's a key to my apartment," Jenny explained, "I want you to feel like this is your home now, and as such, you should be able to come and go as you please."

Carly blinked, throwing herself at Jenny as her tears fell, and the redhead laughed quietly, hugging her gently.

"Thank you," Carly said, her voice muffled by Jenny's shoulder.

"You're welcome, little one."

All in all, it was the best Christmas Jenny could have imagined in spite of all they'd been through in the last year.


Gibbs

Though he hadn't said as much, Jenny's gifts to him and Carly had made him start thinking seriously about the house he'd abandoned after losing Shannon and Kelly. After all, he couldn't let it fall into ruins, it meant to much too him, and as he drove around town, he unknowingly made the turn that would lead him to it. As soon as he pulled into the driveway, he felt that familiar rush of pain that always seemed to accompany him wherever he went, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He wasn't here to reminisce.

He unlocked the door slowly, amazed that the hinges hadn't squeaked, and as he began walking through the living room, he sighed. The pain was there, just beneath the surface, but stronger still was the almost-overwhelming need to take that pain and transform it. He walked up the stairs to the second floor, taking a deep breath to brace himself, and as he pushed open the door to Kelly's old room, he frowned.

It was just as she'd left it, slightly unkempt, and as he sat down slowly on the bed, he ran his hand through his hair. It felt so recent, yet still like a lifetime ago, and he carefully touched the pillow near his hand. Would Kelly be upset with him if he cleaned it? Somehow he doubted it, but there was still that nagging feeling that seemed to tell him she would resent being reduced to a few boxes in the basement. And yet...keeping this bedroom a shrine to her life seemed incredibly unhealthy. Even he could see that it was damaging, both to his own psyche and to his relationship with Jenny.

Gathering up the little remaining strength of mind he had, Gibbs nodded once to himself before standing again. He gave the room one final glance before walking towards the door and sighed.

"I love you, Kelly. Always."

Making his way back down the stairs, Gibbs passed straight through the living room to the front door, heading for his truck. He'd come prepared, pulling out the cardboard boxes he'd brought with him, and as he walked up to the house, he thought he might had felt some semblance of peace.


As he set the last of the boxes down in the basement, Gibbs ran his hand through slightly damp hair, and when he glanced at his watch, he frowned. How had four hours passed already? He supposed, when he really stopped to think about it, it made perfect sense. He had not only cleaned out Kelly's room, he'd washed fresh sheets and placed them on both her old bed and the one he'd shared with Shannon, then proceeding to clean out the master bedroom as well. It looked impeccable, if he did say so himself, and he prided himself on only crying twice throughout the entire process. He'd cleaned out the closets, each dresser, the bathroom, you name it, he'd cleaned it.

He still had about half an hour until Jenny returned from yet another shopping trip with Carly, and as he placed the tool box she'd given him down in the basement, he found himself smiling. Maybe, just maybe, this was a good thing.

His phone rang loudly in the silence, and as he answered it, he sat down on one of the stools.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Jethro, we finished shopping early, so Carly and I are heading back. Do you want us to grab dinner, or...?"

"No, I'm good."

A sudden thought occurred to him, and he smiled.

"Actually, I've got an idea. Do you remember the way to my house?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"Meet me there. I've got something to show you."

"Okay."

She hung up, and as he finished straightening up the space around him, he found that no matter what he did, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.


The quiet knock on the door signaled Jenny and Carly's arrival and as he stood to answer it, Gibbs shook his head. He was strangely nervous about what he was preparing to do, though he had no idea why, and as he stepped back to let them in, he took a slow breath.

"Why did you want us to meet you here?" Jenny asked.

"Thought you should see your present in its proper place," he lied, leading them towards the basement steps.

As soon as the boat came into view, Carly gasped, looking at it in wonder, and Jenny smiled, leaning over to kiss him gently.

"It looks perfect. How much work did you get done on it today?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"None on the boat. That wasn't what I wanted to show you. Come on. Upstairs."

He led the way back up the stairs and through the living room, quickly ascending the stairs again. Jenny frowned when she realised where they were heading, but stayed silent, waiting to see what he had planned. He pushed open Kelly's old bedroom door, smiling when Jenny gasped in shock, and when she turned to face him, her eyes were confused.

"You cleaned it out. Where did you—"

"Someplace safe. I realised that I didn't need to keep her room just the way she left it for her to still be with me. She's always with me, and so is Shannon. But I didn't ask you here to go over my personal revelations."

"Uh-huh," Jenny said skeptically, looking at Carly from the corner of her eye, "and why did you invite us, pray tell."

"I've thought about this for a long time, and—"

"Don't tell me you're selling it. Jethro, you said it means too much to you, you can't sell it."

He laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm not selling it, Jen. Calm down. I've been thinking and I want you and Carly to live here. With me."

"W-what? Jethro, are you serious?"

He nodded.

"As ever. If you'd rather not, then no worr—"

His words were silenced by Jenny's lips on his own, and she pulled him closer by his jacket, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you're amazing. I'd love to."

Turning to Carly, she gave her a serious look, her voice quiet but hopeful.

"What about you, Carly? It's your decision, and—"

"When can we move in?" Carly asked, hugging them both hard.

This was shaping up to be, in Gibbs' opinion, one of the best years of his life.


Shepard

Though it had cost her a decent amount of money to end her lease on her apartment, Jenny was too excited about moving into Gibbs' house that she couldn't have cared less. They had spent the weekend after Christmas moving their various belongings, and Gibbs had made copies of the keys for both she and Carly, though he so rarely locked the door that it didn't seem to matter. Carly was ecstatic about having a room of her own, and even Jenny couldn't deny that having a bit more privacy had turned out to be a good thing.

They'd enrolled Carly in the local high school, though she was so far ahead in her classes that it had warranted skipping a grade and she was now working towards an early graduation. She was making amazing progress and even if she had tried, Jenny didn't think she could be prouder. Though her personal life was turning out better than expected, her professional one was beginning to wear her down and she was, to put it bluntly, fucking exhausted.

She had stayed late at work nearly every night the week following their move into Gibbs' house and slept little during those night, mainlining coffee into her bloodstream hour after hour. She'd told no one, but her purging had returned in full force, jumping drastically from once a week to once or twice a day, and though she knew it was dangerous, she couldn't bring herself to stop.

It was this very turn of events that led to her sneaking out of bed late at night on the rare occasions that she was home, hoping and praying that Gibbs was a heavy enough sleeper or that he would be working down in the basement long enough that he wouldn't notice. As she knelt in front of the toilet late one evening, Gibbs safely down in the basement and Carly sleeping in her room, Jenny shoved her fingers down her throat, doing everything in her power to keep from coughing, lest she attract unwanted attention.

She felt her stomach heave in that all-too-familiar way, leaning over the porcelain quickly, and as she continued to retch, she spat the contents of her stomach into the bowl. Hot tears filled her eyes, spilling over her skin rapidly, and when she tasted that familiar coppery taste of blood, she frowned but kept going, too far involved to stop now.

Each heave of her stomach brought a greater amount of blood and though she was beginning to get seriously worried, she couldn't stop retching. She withdrew her fingers from her mouth, weakly collapsing next to the toilet, and as she retched again, she felt the blood on her lips once more.

"Jenny, are you okay?"

Wait. She knew that voice. She raised her head slightly, but found it unbearably heavy, struggling for a moment before letting it fall back into the small spattering of blood on the floor.


Gibbs

The sound of footsteps on the basement stairs was loud enough that he jumped and when he heard Carly's frantic voice calling his name, his head snapped up, narrowly avoiding contact with the boat he was currently under.

"Jethro!"

He stood up, brushing the sawdust from his jeans, and frowned as the younger girl came crashing into the basement.

"Jethro, come quick! It's Jenny!"

He wasted no time in bolting for the stairs, Carly at his heels, and as she directed him on where to go, he felt his stomach drop. He pushed open the bathroom door, swearing when he saw Jenny on the ground, kneeling down next to her.

"Carly, go start my truck. Now!"

She nodded, nearly falling in her haste to reach the vehicle, and Gibbs carefully brushed Jenny's bloodstained hair from her face.

"Jen, can you hear me?"

A weak nod was his only answer, but in lieu of the situation, he would take it. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead softly as he stood.

"Don't worry, Jen. We're taking you to the hospital. You're going to be fine."

He quickly made his way down the stairs, cradling Jenny as though she were made of glass, and when he made it outside, he found Carly waiting with the passenger door open, her eyes filled with tears. Placing Jenny in the truck carefully, he looked at the younger girl, his eyes serious.

"Stay here. I'll call as soon as I know something. We might need you to bring us something later."

She nodded, kissing Jenny's cheek before closing the door, and as Gibbs sped off down the street, he caught one last look of Carly's tear-stained face in the rear view mirror.


After Jenny had been admitted to the emergency ward, Gibbs found himself pacing the small room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of a doctor. He felt as though they'd been waiting for hours, though Jenny had slept the entire time, and he sighed, making his turn around the room in annoyance. Just when he thought he would tear his hair out in frustration, there was a soft knock on the door, and as he looked up, an older woman in her mid-forties (he assumed), gave him a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gibbs. I'm Doctor Abbott, I've just had a look at your wife's charts, and since I know you're likely going crazy with worry, I'm here to help you."

He didn't bother to correct her on his relationship to Jenny, too preoccupied with the answers he needed, and nodded once.

"Long story short, there does seem to be some tearing of Jennifer's esophagus, which is where the blood came from, likely caused by frequent vomiting. We've ruled out pregnancy and the common cold, as well as the flu. This is going to sound like an odd question, but does Jennifer have any history with an eating disorder? Bulimia, perhaps? I noticed marks on the back of her hand that are common with this type of illness and if you could provide us with any information, we would greatly appreciate it."

Gibbs nodded, his eyes serious.

"She's been getting better, though."

"Relapses are common in situations like this, but unfortunately, I cannot treat Jennifer without her consent. I can treat the symptoms, but not the problem."

"How the hell does that work?" Gibbs asked angrily.

"Eating disorders are not considered a direct threat to one's well-being. If Jennifer were to walk in with a gun to her head, I could place her under a seventy-two hour hold, but in this situation, my hands are tied."

Gibbs shook his head, more than a little annoyed, and Doctor Abbott looked at him sympathetically.

"I know how difficult this is, but it is entirely possible for Jennifer to make a full recovery. Just be patient with her, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it."

Though he knew she was right, Gibbs wanted nothing more than to scream at her.


Carly was waiting for them in the living room when they returned home hours later, Jenny still heavily sedated and fighting for consciousness in Gibbs' arms as he carried her in, and she watched them silently as he placed her in the bedroom. He kissed her forehead silently before leaving the room, and as he closed the door, he looked at Carly seriously.

"She's going to be okay. Just needs to rest."

Carly nodded.

"I, um, I cleaned the bathroom."

Gibbs smiled sadly.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Carly insisted, "I couldn't stand being here not knowing anything. I needed to do something."

Nodding slowly, Gibbs gestured for them to head downstairs, and as they both sat down on the faded couch, he met her eyes seriously.

"I hope maybe that was enough for you to understand how dangerous these things are. Jenny could have died tonight. And if you keep up your ways, you will, too. I know it isn't as easy as simply quitting. Nothing like this is easy. But you can do it. Both of you."

Carly nodded.

"I just found Jenny," she whispered, "I don't want to lose her."

Gibbs smiled, though it was hardly reassuring.

"Me too, kid."


Shepard

Feeling more than a little groggy, Jenny slowly raised her head up from the pillow, confused as to where she was and how she'd come to be there. The last thing she remembered was vomiting in the bathroom, and as she realised she was in the bedroom of Jethro's (their) house, she frowned. Where was he? She swung her feet over the side of the bed, carefully standing, and as she passed Carly's room, she noticed the closed door. It seemed to be either very early or very late, though she had no idea of which, and she made her way towards the basement steps, hoping he was still awake.

She said nothing as she walked down the stairs, though she knew he was aware of her presence, and when she reached the cold concrete floor, she shivered slightly.

"Jethro?"

"Here."

She turned in the direction his voice had come from, leaning down to find him underneath the shell of his boat, and he frowned at her as he slid out from under it.

"What are you doing up? You should be resting."

"I w—Jethro, what happened?"

"Vomited blood and passed out on the floor. Carly found you, I drove you to the emergency room. Said there was nothing they could do except treat the symptoms, and here we are."

Jenny nodded silently, looking up at him from behind the long red curtain of her hair.

"Are you angry with me?"

He shook his head.

"No. Relapses are common. Just worried. You scared the hell out of me, Jen."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know."

"No, I mean, I didn't mean to relapse. I—between work, Carly, the move, I just...I didn't know how to handle it all, and...I really fucked up, Jethro."

He smiled, wrapping his arm around her.

"We all fuck up sometimes, Shepard. Just realise it and move on."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too, Jen."

"You'd better, 'cause you're stuck with me now."

His answering laugh was music to her ears.


Carly's exasperated yell from the other side of the living room made Jenny glance up in curiosity as she was cutting up vegetables for their dinner, and she frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"I made one internet search and now my algorithm is all fucked up! All it shows me are bras!"

Jenny's confusion intensified as she kept chopping, but all she could think to say was one word.

"What?"

"Bras. All I get are ads for bras. Why?"

"That's one of life's great mysteries, little one," Jenny said, laughing as Gibbs passed her to get to the refrigerator.

She could tell he was desperately wishing to be far away from their conversation and she fought the urge to laugh.

"By the way, I STILL don't know how to buy a bra!" Carly called, her tone slightly accusatory.

"And why is that?" Jenny asked, feigning nonchalance.

"No one ever showed me!" Carly exclaimed, blowing her hair out of her face dramatically.

"Showed you what?"

Gibbs was visibly uncomfortable now, making Jenny use all of her self-restraint to keep from bursting into peals of laughter, and she shook her head as Carly spoke again, fixing her with a pained look.

"What kind you're supposed to get!"

"Why is that even sort of complicated?"

Carly sighed, tossing her phone across the room in frustration. It landed on the couch with a flourish, bouncing onto the floor, and she groaned as she stood to make her way into the kitchen. She glared at Jenny, her eyes betraying the depth of her annoyance.

"You know...like how they're supposed to fit and stuff?"

"Who the fuck did you think was supposed to show you that?"

"Well, do YOU know?" came her next question.

"Know what?" Jenny asked.

She placed the finished vegetables into her pot, moving onto the next step of cooking, and as she pulled out the chicken breast, she caught Gibbs sneaking out of the room, his eyes downcast.

"Jethro, dinner won't be long. Don't leave."

"Jenny! Do you know how to buy a bra?"

Jenny rolled her eyes, deliberately feigning ignorance as Gibbs sat down on the couch.

"Go to the department store, buy a bra, done."

"But it should fit, right?"

"When that bra dies, go back to the store, buy another one, done," Jenny continued, as though Carly hadn't spoken.

"But what about the size, Jenny?"

Jenny sighed.

"This is just one of those things that I'm never going to understand, isn't it?"

Carly rolled her eyes, grabbing a piece of the carrots Jenny had been chopping from the pot and launching it at the older woman, laughing when it hit her in the nose. Jenny gracefully picked it back up from where it had fallen to the floor and promptly leaned over, tossing it expertly down the front of Carly's shirt. Gibbs sighed in false annoyance as Carly shrieked, tossing another carrot fragment at the redhead, and as he glanced up from his place on the couch, Jenny smiled.

"Jethro, dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. Do you want to go get the bourbon from your basement, or do you have a stash I'm not aware of?"

Gibbs shook his head, thankful for any excuse to get him out of the room, and as he walked down the steps, Jenny returned her attention to the girl in front of her.

"What is it with younger generations, always expecting things to work? The nerve."

Carly rolled her eyes.

"Right. Because when you were a kid, you understood everything was broken and failed..." she muttered sarcastically.

"Nirvana, baby," Jenny replied smoothly, "Nevermind."


Gibbs

Though he would rather die than admit it, Gibbs was secretly very glad that Jenny had agreed to take Carly in and while his reasoning may have been somewhat selfish, it held little bearing over that fact. He saw this as a chance to help not only Carly and Jenny, but as a way to be the father that he'd never been able to be for Kelly. He knew, deep down, that she would never be able to replace the daughter he'd lost, but helping Carly made him feel as though he hadn't wasted his life, and as he walked into the living room, he frowned.

The girl in question was sitting on the couch, her head resting on her knees and when he called her name, she wiped her hand under her eyes furiously. Making his way closer, he could see the plate of strawberries sitting in front of her, and he suddenly understood. Jenny was nowhere to be found, but if he listened closely, he could hear the water from the shower, and he slowly sat down next to her.

"You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, but he didn't buy it, nudging her lightly with his knee.

"Come on, kid. I won't judge."

Sighing, Carly nodded, placing the plate farther away from her body and he picked one up thoughtfully.

"I don't know how you got mixed up in all this, but I would guess it had something to do with control, am I right?"

She nodded again, still staring at the strawberries with contempt.

"Jen always says that her original plan was to find the one thing in her life that she could still have control over. It ended up controlling her when it was all said and done. Sound familiar?"

"Mhmm...I never meant for this to get so out of hand...It just..."

"Kind of snuck up on you, right?"

Carly smiled, nodding, and when he held the strawberry out to her, she visibly recoiled, causing him to shake his head.

"Look, Carly...strawberries are healthy. They're sweet, and eating one isn't going to make the world stop spinning. Why don't you give it a shot? Just one. Can you do that?"

Eyeing it warily, she finally nodded, reaching out slowly to take the berry from him, still doubtful.

"Let me give you an incentive. Eat the berry, and you can take the night off from studying. Just spend time with Jen. Or me, if you want. Jen likes to come down to the basement while I work. I don't mind if you join us. Or come by yourself. Your choice."

Slowly, so slowly that it almost made Gibbs uncomfortable, Carly placed the small berry into her mouth, flinching slightly when she bit into its soft flesh. She chewed it carefully, swallowing it after exactly fifteen chews, and when she gave him a cautious smile, he returned it immediately.

"Now, that didn't kill you, did it? That's what we have to do here: take it slowly. Piece by piece, bite by bite if necessary. You can definitely beat this, you and Jenny both, and as soon as you feel up to it, we'll really throw a party to celebrate."

"A party?" Carly asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'll invite Doctor Mallard and we can just spend the night talking, enjoying each other's company...you name it."

"Doesn't sound like much of a party, Jethro."

He laughed.

"When you get to be my age, kid, staying up until eleven is a party."

Carly laughed quietly and at his encouraging nod, picked up another strawberry, placing it in her mouth gingerly. Footsteps on the stairs announced Jenny's arrival, making her smile, and when the redhead joined them on the couch, looking at them curiously.

"Having a nice talk?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Gonna throw a rager and invite Ducky."

Jenny laughed, shaking her head slowly.

"I didn't think you even knew how to throw a rager, Leroy Jethro."

Pretending to be highly offended, Gibbs rolled his eyes, and as Carly excused herself to take a shower, Jenny laid her head on his shoulder, forgetting entirely about the fact that her hair was wet.

"You did a great job, Jethro," she said quietly, reaching for his hand.

He raised his eyebrow, looking at her curiously.

"You heard that?"

"Caught the end. Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?"

Gibbs smiled, leaning in closer, his lips inches away from hers.

"Remind me."

"Consider it done," she whispered.


A/N: Regarding Jenny and the E.R. doctor: it is true that if you report to an emergency room with complications from an eating disorder, all the doctors can do is treat the symptoms. A doctor can only hold a patient against their will if the patient threatens to harm themselves or someone else. This is known as the Seventy-Two Hour Hold. After this period, the patient will be re-evaluated, and if they are determined to be no longer a threat, they are released. Eating disorders do not fall under "threat to self", the threat has to be immediate. So if Jenny had walked into the E.R with a gun to her head and threatened to shoot herself, she would be held in the Seventy-Two Hour Hold. Since she has an eating disorder, she is free to behave as she pleases. Inpatient treatment is expensive and often takes more than one stay to fully recover. Often, even if weight is gained/maintained, the psychological pathology remains. Additionally, most insurance companies have a cap on how long they will pay for treatment.

Most patients feel that insurance runs out too soon.

Many relapse.

Some will die.