A/N: Here we are again, my lovelies! Hope you enjoy this latest installment!


Shepard

Looking back on the event in question in the years to come, Jenny Shepard was never truly sure how it had all started. She'd started her morning out in a fairly normal way, and it was only after noon that the day took a turn for the worst. She'd decided to have Carly stop by for lunch following on of her meetings and as they had returned to her office with their respective dishes in hand, she gave her assistant a warm smile. Cynthia returned it easily, nodding at Carly as they entered the room, and as soon as they sat down on her couch, Jenny hugged her.

"Just think, Little One, soon you'll be too busy studying to have lunch with me."

Carly laughed, shaking her head.

"I can always make time for that. Especially if you're buying."

Jenny smiled, taking a drink from her water bottle.

"I'll buy you whatever you want if you spend the afternoon with me. I love messing with DiNozzo."

The ringing of her phone halted whatever Carly had been planning to say and as Jenny stood up to answer it, she gave the younger girl an apologetic look.

"Shepard."

"Director, I need you to come down to the squad room."

Jenny frowned, confused by DiNozzo's formality, and glanced at Carly.

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Now she was certain that something was wrong. DiNozzo hadn't called her "ma'am" since the very first day they'd met. After assuring him that she was on her way, she hung up the phone, shaking her head slowly.

"Stay here. I have to go downstairs for a moment."

"Are you sure I can't—"

"No," Jenny said sternly, "stay here and keep the door locked."

Carly nodded and as soon as Jenny had stepped out of her office, she turned to Cynthia, her expression serious.

"Go in my office with Carly. Make sure the door is locked."

Cynthia nodded.

"Yes, Director."

Jenny made her way down the stairs after the lock clicked into place and as soon as she realised what her eyes were seeing, she had to fight to keep her breathing under control. From what she could gather, DiNozzo and McGee's suspect had somehow managed to take the team leader's firearm and was now using it to hold the squad room hostage.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, hoping her voice was steady.

"Into the elevator, Red," came the cold voice from just behind DiNozzo.

He jerked the weapon in the direction of the silver doors, looking at the team leader angrily.

"You too, pretty boy."

Before they had time to react, Jenny and DiNozzo found themselves being hauled into the tiny space, the suspect standing between them, gun pressed to the redhead's temple.

"Now that I have your full attention, I want to make something very clear. I do not want to hurt either of you. But if you don't follow the rules, there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

Jenny nodded, watching the gun from the corner of her eye, and as DiNozzo spoke, she could hear the barely-restrained fear in his voice.

"I already told you Addley, your brother is dead!"

"I'm not leaving here without him!"

Jenny frowned, trying to make sense of the situation, and when she felt the gun twitch against her hair, she took a slow breath.

"Wait. We can give you his body. It's down in autopsy. At least that way, he can have a proper burial."

Addley nodded, his eyes locking on DiNozzo as he gestured to the panel in front of him.

"Take me there. Now. And no screwing around."

Jenny closed her eyes, hoping and praying that she hadn't just signed her own death warrant...

Ducky wisely said nothing as the team leader and Director entered the room, no doubt sensing that there was something very wrong, and as the man behind them locked the door, he glanced at the redhead carefully. She shook her head minutely, warning him to stay silent, and as Addley glared at the Scottish doctor, he kept his weapon trained on Jenny.

"Show me."

"We need to see Lieutenant Mornay's body," DiNozzo said, hoping the doctor could sense his urgency.

Ducky nodded, moving quickly to open the freezer door, and as DiNozzo took a step forward, the gun swung in his direction, Addley shaking his head once.

"Now, now Agent DiNozzo...stay where you are. Unless you really want me to have to break my promise."

As the metal slab slid out of the door, Addley froze, seemingly in shock, and when he finally began moving again, he slowly reached out, touching his brother's cold skin carefully.

"Danny..." he whispered, "What did they do to you?"

Jenny slowly began making her way closer to DiNozzo, trying to get his attention without words, and as she took step after silent step, she kept her eyes locked on the gun in Addley's hand. Finally, she reached him, grabbing his hand urgently, and just as she was about to tell him to run, Addley turned, the gun swinging around, safety clicking off as he glared at them.

"Not so fast, Red. Which one of you killed him? Who killed my little brother?"

DiNozzo shook his head, still holding Jenny's hand.

"None of us. We found him. That's what we do. We investigate Naval crimes. He was dead when we got to the scene."

Addley shook his head, still glaring at them as he pulled a knife from his pocket, tossing it on the ground in front of them.

"Pick it up," he whispered coldly.

Neither of them moved, each trying to control their fear in their own way, and when he realised that they weren't listening, Addley shook his head in anger.

"Pick up the knife! Whichever one of you kills the other first gets to live."

Jenny shook her head, looking at him with all the intimidation she could find, unconsciously tightening her hold on DiNozzo's hand.

"We're not going to play your game."

"Oh, I assure you, Director, this is no game. You have fifteen seconds. Fifteen...fourteen..."

Jenny's eyes widened as she began to understand that there was a very high possibility that they wouldn't be able to make it out of this, and before she had time to question herself, she picked up the knife, looking at DiNozzo seriously.

"Tony..."

He shook his head, eyes locking onto the silver blade, and frowned when she placed the knife in his hand. He was too panicked to see that Jenny wasn't paying him any attention, her eyes watching Ducky in the shadows behind Addley, and when she gripped his wrist, she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Just trust me."

"Jenny, what are you—"

"Nine...eight...seven..."

Jenny tightened her hold on his arm, bracing herself, and as she took a deep breath, she plunged the knife into her side, just below her rib cage.

"Jenny!"

Her head fell onto his shoulder, her lips touching his ear, and as she coughed, she felt blood bubble through her mouth.

"Get the gun..." she whispered.

Her eyes closed as her body went limp against his and he carefully lowered her to the ground, trying to think about anything but her blood staining his hands.

"Well, well...that isn't how I expected this to go at all. Agent DiNozzo, it seems like your Director had more guts than I gave her credit for."

DiNozzo wasn't listening, his eyes locked on those of the Scottish doctor and as he nodded, he threw his entire weight into Addley, sending him crashing to the ground. Ducky took advantage of the struggle, wrestling the gun from Addley's hands and as soon as DiNozzo had his handcuffs securely around the other man's wrists, he handed the weapon to the team leader. DiNozzo aimed carefully, firing a well-placed bullet into his upper thigh, and as he made his way to the phone, he realised the doctor was no longer behind him.

Ducky's hands were now stained crimson with blood as he pressed them into the wound on Jenny's ribs, and as DiNozzo came closer, he looked at him seriously.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, I believe so. I showed her where to put the blade so as to not cause too much damage."

"That's why she was watching you," DiNozzo realised, shaking his head.

"You didn't really think Jennifer would allow any harm to come to you, did you?"

DiNozzo sighed, shaking his head.

"Stubborn woman..."

"I heard that, Tony," Jenny murmured weakly.

He laughed, leaning down and kissing her cheek softly.

"I love you, Shep."


"Jethro, I swear, I'm fine."

In spite of Jenny's protests, Gibbs carried her into the bedroom, carefully placing her on the mattress, pulling the blankets more securely around her. She was still deathly pale from the loss of blood, and while Ducky had assured him that she would make a full recovery, Gibbs wasn't taking any chances. She could feel her eyes growing heavy as he leaned over her to kiss her cheek, and it was only the quiet knock on the door frame that made her open them again.

"Come on in, Little One."

Carly made her way slowly to the bed, looking at Jenny with a combination of admiration and fear, and as she sat down on the edge of the mattress, she gave her a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

Jenny shrugged, wincing slightly at the pain.

"I've had worse."

"I'm supposed to tell you that DiNozzo said he's going to buy you coffee for a year to thank you for saving his life. And he said that dinner is on him, wherever you and Jethro want to go, he'll pay for it."

"Is that the going rate for saving someone's life?" Jenny asked jokingly.

Carly smiled, patting her knee lightly.

"I think you could get more. Just play up that injury whenever he's around."

Jenny laughed, wincing at the sensation below her ribs, and as Gibbs handed her a cup of hot tea, she smiled in thanks, taking a small drink.

"Got anything stronger?"

He shook his head.

"Not right now. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Jenny placed the cup on the bedside table, too exhausted to hold it any longer, and as Carly left the room, Gibbs leaned down, kissing her forehead.

"Get some sleep, Agent Shepard."

"Director Shepard," she corrected him quietly.

"Not the way you're acting."

"Very funny."

Gibbs smiled, kissing her again.

"Goodnight, Jen. Love you."

"Love you, too."


Gibbs

Though he hadn't said as much in front of her, it made Gibbs extremely worried when he thought about just how close Jenny and Carly had come to dying that day. Despite her reassurances that she'd been safely locked up in Jenny's office, he still didn't like Carly's proximity to the danger that had taken place, and he sure as hell didn't like the outcome in Jenny's case. He knew that her job was dangerous, knew that it came with the territory, but that didn't ease his worry in any amount.

It had taken everything he possessed not to sit and watch her sleep through the rest of the night and it was only Carly's coaxing that finally convinced him to come down to the kitchen and eat the dinner she had so painstakingly prepared. He knew how difficult it was for the younger girl to be around food and so he didn't want to hurt her feelings by ignoring her attempt at cooking, taking a small bite as he sat across from her.

The meal she'd prepared was surprisingly good and he smiled at her as he swallowed, reaching for his bourbon. She was pushing the food around on the plate, merely staring at it, and when he gave her an encouraging nod, she sighed.

"You think I'm being stupid, don't you?"

He shook his head.

"No. Just wish you could see what we see when we look at you."

She rolled her eyes, reaching for her glass of water.

"A pathetic little nobody with a shitty past and no future?"

"Not at all," Gibbs told her gently, "I see a young and beautiful girl who wants to help others and that is one of the brightest people I know."

"You're just saying that to be nice."

Gibbs shook his head, taking another bite of his food.

"Don't believe in false praise."

The smile Carly gave him was brighter than he'd seen in weeks.


Jenny was fast asleep when he returned to bed that night, a result of the trauma she'd been through and the pain medication she'd been given when she'd seen the doctor, and as he held her in his arms that night, he found himself again thinking of Shannon. Would she understand that he still loved her even though he loved Jenny as well? Would she be angry that he'd moved on in the years following her death? Would she forgive him for not thinking of her every second of every day as he had in the immediate aftermath?

And Kelly...what would she think of Carly? Would she understand that no one could ever take her place in his heart? That he would never love anyone or anything in the same way he'd loved her and her mother? Would she be upset that he'd given her room to another girl? Would she be angry that he'd placed nearly every aspect of their lives in a box in the basement for safekeeping?

It bothered him to no end that he didn't have even the slightest idea of what the answer would be and now he was left wondering how well he'd really known his family at all. Why did he have to torment himself this way? He sighed, running his hand over Jenny's long red hair, breathing in the sweet vanilla scent of her perfume. He was severely tempted to wake her and ask for her opinion, but he knew she needed the rest.

By now, it was becoming apparent that his mind was never going to let him rest that night, and as he raised up from his position on the bed, he ran his fingers softly over Jenny's hair one last time. Oh, well, At least he could get some work done on the boat...or at least he hoped he could.


The scream that came from above his head woke him from a sleep he hadn't even realised he'd been in and as Gibbs took the stairs two at a time to make it up in a timely manner, he tried to control the racing of his own heart. He passed Carly just as she opened her bedroom door, blinking in her sleepy confusion, and when he sat down on the edge of the bed, he reached out to grab Jenny's upper arms. She screamed again, still struggling in his hold, and as she finally began to come out of her nightmare, the fear began to leave her eyes, replaced by a tearful recognition.

"Shh...you're safe."

"J-Jethro?"

"Yeah," he assured her with a smile.

"I—oh, God, Jethro, I—"

"Easy, Jen...it's okay. It was just a dream."

She let her head fall to his shoulder, gripping his shirt like her life depended on it, oblivious to the teenage girl hovering concernedly in the doorway.

"It felt so real," Jenny whispered, her voice breaking.

"I know, Jen," Gibbs told her gently, "but it's over now. Just breathe."

Carly, who had never seen Jenny this way, merely watched them from her place in the hall, unsure if she should offer her help or stay silent. Ultimately, she decided to let Gibbs handle it and made her way back to her room when Jenny was finally calm enough to attempt sleep again. As he held Jenny close against his chest, Gibbs kissed her hair, whispering comforting words as she cried into his shirt.


Gibbs frowned when he made his way back downstairs only to find Carly sitting on the couch, a cup of tea held in her hand, tears dripping onto the blanket covering her. He made his way closer, sitting next to her silently, and when she glanced at him, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You can talk about it if you want."

She sighed, shaking her head as she took a drink from her cup.

"I just...her job is so dangerous. I don't want to lose her."

Gibbs nodded.

"I know. But Jen can take care of herself. She's proven that many times. And she can take care of you, too. Just have to push that worry to the back of your mind and remember that no one is guaranteed a next day. Make each one count."

Carly smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks."

She paused for a moment, looking at him seriously.

"Jethro?"

He glanced at her to show he was listening, waiting for her to speak.

"How often do you think about them? Your wife and your little girl."

He thought for a long moment, considering the best way to answer her.

"I used to think about them every day. Every moment. But over time, I was able to focus on my life again. It took a few years and if I hadn't met Jenny, it might not have ever happened, but...now...I can think about them and smile. Remember the good times with them and not dwell on the loss. And one day, you'll get there. You'll be able to think about your parents and laugh at an old joke, smile at their faces in a photograph."

Carly nodded, saying nothing, and as she laid her head on his shoulder, she sniffed, fighting back her tears.

"I miss them so much," she whispered.

"I know, kid."

"But I love you and Jenny just as much. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Not at all. Believe it or not, it is possible to love more than one person at a time."

She moved closer, grateful for his calming presence, and as he wrapped his arm around her, Gibbs had never felt more thankful in his life.


Against her protests, Gibbs made sure that Jenny stayed in bed the following day, and as he returned to the bedroom holding a cup of coffee, she gave him an annoyed look, blowing her hair out of her face.

"Jethro, I'm not an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of getting my own coffee."

"Not a chance, Jen. You're staying in bed. Doctor's orders."

"You're not a doctor," she pointed out, "but what kind of person would I be if I denied you the opportunity to wait on me like a queen?"

"Don't push it," he warned jokingly.

Jenny laughed, sipping her coffee slowly, and as he sat down next to her on the bed, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"In all seriousness, how do you feel?"

"A little sore, but nothing unbearable. A few aspirin and I'll be fine."

He looked at her seriously, trying to determine if she was lying, and when her right eye didn't twitch, he knew she was being honest. He'd figured out that her right eye always twitched when she lied a few months into their relationship and while he had kept that little detail to himself, it was proving useful to him now. She gave him a smile as he kissed her cheek, placing her coffee cup on the bedside table, and frowned when she realised she hadn't seen Carly that morning.

"Where's Little One?"

He smiled at the nickname.

"She mentioned something about a bookstore earlier. Think she might be awhile."

"Oh, damn...Carly in a bookstore. We'll be lucky if we see her at all today," Jenny laughed.

"Sometimes, I forget that you're not related," he agreed.

"You and me both, Jethro."


Shepard

God, she was bored.

Jenny sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think of something, anything that would help alleviate this mind-numbing boredom that was close to driving her insane. She'd moved from the bedroom to the living room hours ago, both needing a change in scenery and wanting to allow Gibbs to keep working on his beloved boat yet still offer assistance should she need it, yet she was still bored out of her mind.

She frowned as she scrolled absentmindedly through her phone, but as a sudden idea occurred to her, her eyes lit up. Carly would most likely be out most of the day, and with Gibbs busy working on the boat, what better time to start her own project? It was perfect.

Two hours and three phone calls later found Jenny sitting with the printer Carly had bought for her college studies, sifting through hundreds of photos, arranging them and then rearranging them again, and when she was finally satisfied with the placement of each one, she smiled. A few dots of glue on the back of each secured them in place, and when she placed the finished product in a frame, she was feeling quite pleased with herself.

She slowly raised herself up from the couch, carefully making her way towards the stairs, and when she had just put her foot on the bottom step, she heard her name.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Jethro. I'm just taking this to Carly's room"

Gibbs shook his head.

"I'll do it. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt."

Jenny sighed, rolling her eyes, but handed him the frame, resigning herself to the fact that he was never going to let this one go. His eyes roamed over her gift and as he looked back at her, he frowned.

"You made this?"

She nodded.

"I was bored."

He smiled.

"She's going to love it. Especially after what we talked about last night."

Jenny met his eyes seriously. He'd told her about the conversation he'd had with Carly and she'd spent the better part of the day thinking about how to help her navigate her grief.

"That's what made me think about it."

"Where'd you get the pictures?"

"Carly's friends. I made some calls, asked them to send me any pictures they had of them together. It's the least I can do."

He kissed her gently as he began walking up the stairs, his bright eyes locking onto hers.

"I love you."

She smiled.

"I love you, too."


Carly didn't return until nearly six that evening and when Jenny heard the sound of her footsteps on the porch, she placed the book she'd been reading on the table in front of her. As the front door opened, Jenny could hear her talking to the friend who had dropped her off and she frowned. Surely she'd taken her own car to the bookstore? It didn't make sense for her not to and yet...

Smiling at her as she slipped off her shoes, Carly asked how she was feeling before sitting next to her, and again, Jenny frowned, more than a little confused. There was something off about the way she spoke, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It wasn't until the younger girl moved a bit closer that she realised what that scent clinging to her clothing was, and she frowned, looking at her seriously.

"Where did you go after the bookstore?" Jenny asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"I just hung out with Evan. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Uh-huh," Jenny replied slowly, "And this hanging out wouldn't have consisted of drinking, would it?"

Carly must have sensed that the redhead was serious because she nodded without even thinking, and as Jenny stood up and made her way to the steps leading to the basement, she began to shake.

"Jethro, come up here."

As soon as Gibbs walked up the stairs, Jenny shook her head, looking at him with a mixture of disbelief and sadness.

"Our little one has been drinking, Jethro."

He frowned, looking at Carly once before nodding.

"Doesn't seem to be completely wasted. She's always safe about it and—"

"Always safe about it?" Jenny repeated, sure she'd misheard him, "You mean to tell me that this has happened before? And you were aware of it? You kept it from me?"

"Jen," he tried again to explain, reaching out to touch her arm gently, "She's not—"

"She's underage, Jethro!" Jenny reminded him, pulling her arm away from him, "Whether she's responsible about it is irrelevant! She's breaking the law. I don't care how "safe" she is about it!"

Jenny shook her head, ignoring the pain that shot through her as she moved, and as she backed away from them both, she reached for the banister of the steps.

"I...I can't be around either of you right now."

"Jen, wait. You—"

"Just leave me alone, Jethro," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Please."

He nodded, watching her walk up the stairs, and as the bedroom door closed above them, he exchanged a worried look with Carly.


Jenny couldn't stop her feet from moving as she paced the room, trying to calm the racing thoughts in her head. How could Gibbs approve of this? He was even more of a rule-follower than she was. Didn't he understand how dangerous underage drinking was, regardless of how careful she was being? Sure, Jenny had snuck her fair share of Scotch from her father at that age, but this in no way meant that it had been smart. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, still pacing back and forth, and as she turned to begin another path across the floor, she collided with something solid.

It took her a few seconds to realised that she'd smacked into Gibbs, and when she finally recognised him, she glared at him, her eyes hard.

"Damn it, Jethro! Don't you know not to sneak up on people?!"

He shrugged, looking at her seriously.

"Think you should go talk to her."

"I don't have anything to say."

"Maybe you should listen, then."

No matter how hard she glared at him, Jenny knew she would never win this argument, and finally she nodded, pushing past him without so much as a word. She knocked quietly on Carly's door, hoping that she would agree to talk to her, and when she heard her voice, she took a deep breath.

"Mind if I come in?"

"No."

She pushed the door open, walking over to the bed, taking up residence next to her. Carly looked at her warily, her bright blue eyes meeting green slowly, and when jenny spoke, her voice was surprisingly gentle.

"You want to tell me about it?"

Just as she'd done a few nights ago with Gibbs, Carly nodded, explaining her reasoning, and when she'd finished, Jenny was silent. She had a million thoughts rushing through her mind, but when she opened her mouth, only one word came out.

"Why?"

"I just told you wh—"

"No, I mean why didn't you come to me? I would have understood. Maybe not right away, but I'll always try."

"So...you're not going to send me away?"

Jenny frowned, more than a little confused.

"Send you away? What do you mean?"

"I mean...like you don't want to deal with my bullshit anymore and so you kick me out."

Jenny laughed, throwing her arms around Carly in a tight hug.

"Listen, Little One: for better or worse, we're stuck with each other. I couldn't kick you out if I tried. I love you too much. No matter what happens. I'm never going to stop loving you."

Carly blinked, her tears falling rapidly down her face.

"You mean it?"

"I swear it."

"No one's ever stayed with me before...except Evan. Even my parents...they left me, too."

Jenny shook her head, kissing her hair gently.

"Your parents didn't leave because of you, Carly. That was just a tragic accident. You know that, don't you?"

Carly was silent, making Jenny nervous, and she frowned, moving closer. She handed her the picture collage she'd made that day of Carly's parents, smoothing her hand over the reddish-gold hair gently.

"Honey, the fire wasn't your fault. It wasn't some kind of cosmic punishment because of what you did or didn't do as their daughter."

"It feels like it sometimes," Carly whispered, trailing her fingers over her parent's faces, "I feel like maybe if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own bullshit, maybe I—"

"Don't do that, Little One. I did that for years after Heather died and again when my mother died. All you're going to do is drive yourself further into your illness and depression. You'll make yourself go mad. Your parents loved you and if they could be, I know they'd be here. But that doesn't mean that I love you less. Hell, even Jethro says that he would swear that we were related. You even kind of resemble both of us. His eyes, my complexion and hair, to an extent. Yours has more blonde in it, though."

"Maybe you're my mother in another universe," Carly said with a small smile.

Jenny laughed.

"Maybe I am, Little One. And I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you more than anything in the world."

With one final kiss to her temple, Jenny stood up, giving her a smile as she walked to the door, turning just inside the doorway.

"What do you want for dinner? Anything you want, just name it."

"You shouldn't be up walking around too much," Carly reminded her somewhat sternly.

"Oh, I won't be," Jenny laughed, "I'm going to make Jethro cook it."

"Love you, Mom."

"Love you more, Little One."


Jenny fought the urge to shudder as she let the bourbon burn a path down her throat, moving closer to Gibbs as he worked on his boat.

"You know, I think Carly might be on to something with this drinking thing. It really does work."

"Oh?"

Jenny nodded.

"Yeah. I'm kind of hungry now. I get it."

Gibbs laughed, looking at her in amusement.

"There's food in the kitchen."

She nodded again, taking a step closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing along his jawline slowly..

"I know. But I want you to do something for me first."

"Jen..." his voice held a note of warning.

"Not that," she said with a laugh, "Get your mind out of the bedroom, Jethro. I want you to dance with me."

He frowned, looking at her to the best of his ability in their current position.

"I don't dance."

She shook her head, pulling her hair from it's ponytail, letting it fall around her shoulders in vanilla-scented waves.

"Please..."

"There's no music."

"Au contraire, Jethro. I have my phone. I can change that."

Before he could really comprehend that it had happened, Jenny pulled out her phone, landing on an instrumental that was vaguely familiar to him, and when she reached for his hand, he didn't have it in him to protest. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and as he took a step back, he smiled at the look in her eyes. He spun her around the basement so many times that he lost count and as she laid her head on his shoulder, he decided that maybe dancing wasn't so bad after all.

If she looked at him like that, he would dance with her for all of eternity.


Gibbs

How had he gotten here? When he'd returned from Desert Storm, he'd been a broken man, content to live out the remainder of his life hating what he'd become and mourning his loss, and now here he was, years later, living with another woman and a teenage girl who was the exact age as Kelly would have been. It felt at times as though he'd stepped through to the Twilight Zone, another dimension in which Jenny and Carly were his wife and daughter, and these thoughts made him pause as he organised the basement tools again.

He knew for a fact that he loved both Jenny and Carly more than his own life, knew he would do anything to protect them and make them happy, but was it enough? Would Jenny ever consider marrying him if he asked? From what he knew of her, he wasn't so sure. She valued her independence and solitude more than most, cherished her quiet time alone, and he frowned as he wiped sawdust from his jeans.

It wasn't as though he was planning on proposing any time soon, but he liked to be prepared for any possible outcome. He knew that Jenny longed for a family, having had hers taken from her just as his and Carly's had been, but where did that longing end? Would she say yes? Would she laugh in his face and turn him down?

What would Shannon and Kelly think of him considering marriage again, should the occasion present itself? Would they resent him for moving on or would they understand that he simply couldn't handle dwelling on this grief anymore? Not, at least, if he wanted to live rather than merely survive. Because no matter how he looked at the situation, he had been simply surviving after he'd lost his girls and now that Jenny had come into his life, he found himself wanting to live again. To be happy rather than just going through the motions. And more importantly, he wanted to make both Jenny and Carly happy. He'd been thinking about Jenny's question from so long ago quite frequently and he was still just as puzzled by it as he had been the day she'd asked. If he fell in love with her (and let's face it, he definitely had) would he spend his theoretical afterlife with her and Carly or Shannon and Kelly? He didn't really think there was a way they could all exist in one, but he wasn't even sure if he believed in an afterlife, anyway.

He shook his head, still trying to make some sense of the situation, and when he heard the telltale click of heels above his head, he smiled. Yes, he decided, there was no use in denying it: he loved Jenny completely, loved Carly just as much as he'd loved Kelly, and nothing was ever going to change that. Afterlife be damned.

Jenny's perfume reached him seconds before he heard her voice and as he waved at her, he noticed that she looked a bit confused by his activities, making him smile.

"Have you murdered someone?"

He frowned in confusion and she gestured to his sawdust-covered body.

"Looks like you just needed sawdust to soak up the blood from a crime scene."

Of course she would think that.

"Nope. Just sanding. And thinking."

"About me, I hope."

"In a way, yes. Been thinking about your afterlife question from a few months ago."

Jenny frowned, confused for a moment, and then as she remembered it, she nodded with a thoughtful smile.

"I'd forgotten about that. Did you ever reach an answer?"

He nodded.

"I love you. Afterlife can go hang itself."

Laughing, Jenny made her way closer, kissing him carefully to avoid getting sawdust on her expensive suit.

"That doesn't exactly answer it, but I'll take it. Have I mentioned just how much I love you?"
"I seem to remember something along those lines, but my memory isn't what it used to be. Might need you to remind me."

Jenny shook her head, rolling her eyes in amusement.

"I love you more than Abby loves spiked collars, plaid skirts and combat boots."

He whistled.

"Damn. That's an extreme unit of measurement."

Nodding, Jenny leaned in to kiss him again, her perfume engulfing him in a sweet cloud.

"And in reality, it's not even close to being accurate."

Gibbs laughed, pulling her closer, deliberately holding her as close to his body as he could, and when she rolled her eyes at him, he fought against the smile he could feel playing across his lips.

"Jethro! You got sawdust all over my clothes."

He smiled, nodding.

"Yep. Looks that way."

"And what do you propose I do about that?"

Gibbs reached out, taking her hand as he walked towards the stairs.

"I think I can come up with a few ideas."


A/N: I wish Gibbs would dance with me...