A/N: Here we have the latest installment! I hope you enjoy!
Shepard
From the moment she opened her eyes, Jenny found that she couldn't catch her breath, her slightly damp hair sticking to her skin, and she shook her head slowly.
Fucking nightmares.
She glanced around the room, searching for Gibbs, and when she realised he was next to her in the bed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Reaching out slowly, so as not to startle him, Jenny placed her hand on his shoulder, frowning at the sticky liquid feeling her fingers encountered. She pulled her hand back quickly, fumbling for the light on the bedside table, and as light flooded the room, she realised that her hand was covered in blood.
Looking back at Gibbs, she began to scream as she saw the large gash in his throat, still steadily pouring blood from the opening.
Her eyes flew open (in earnest this time), and as she reached for the light, she felt Gibbs stir beside her.
"Jen? Wassamatter?"
She shook her head, unsure of how to explain or even if she wanted to, and she jumped slightly when he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Talk to me."
"I had a nightmare. About having a nightmare," she answered with a bitter laugh, "How's that for screwed up?"
Gibbs frowned, looking at her strangely, and she sighed, moving closer to his body heat.
"I'm so tired, Jethro," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.
He nodded, kissing her hair softly, brushing it back so he could see her face more clearly.
"I know. I wish there was something I could do to help."
Jenny shook her head slowly, closing her eyes in exhaustion.
"It isn't your fault."
He kissed her hair again, pulling her closer to his chest.
"Didn't say it was. Doesn't mean I don't want to help."
"I know," she sighed, "I didn't mean to come off bitchy."
Gibbs smiled, laughing quietly.
"Of all the times you've been bitchy, this isn't one of them."
Jenny laughed, shaking her head, and she kissed his cheek lightly.
"You're lucky I love you."
"Don't I know it."
Though it was no secret that her job came with its own set of challenges, Jenny had severely underestimated just how dangerous it was. She'd thought that once she was away from field work she would be able to relax somewhat, but the events that took place on the fifteenth of April served as a terrifying reminder that she was wrong. The day had started out normally enough, sitting through meetings and dealing with the immature antics of one Anthony DiNozzo, but when she'd left her office to attend yet another high profile luncheon, it took a turn for the worst.
She was too preoccupied with texting Carly to notice the car that had been following them for the last two blocks, her driver too focused on the road to pay much attention to anything else, and as they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Jenny took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She'd always hated these type of events, but it was unfortunately part of her job now.
As she stepped out of the car, she was immediately grabbed by the arm, a hand roughly placed over her mouth, and she fought to keep her breathing under control as she heard the low voice in her ear.
"Hello, Director Shepard. There is a gun aimed at your driver's head as we speak, and if you don't want to be the cause of that young man's death, then you're going to do as I say. Understood?"
Jenny nodded, hoping her attacker couldn't feel the way her body had begun to shake uncontrollably, and as she was led away from the car, she winced in pain at the tight grip on her arm. She was roughly shoved into the back seat of the vehicle that had been following her, and as her attacker climbed in next to her, she was painfully aware of the gun now trained on her.
"Who are you and how do you know my name?"
"My name isn't important. Your agency investigated the murder of my wife a few months ago and you arrested the wrong man. That means that my wife's killer is still walking around free and I'm not giving up until you put him behind bars. No matter what it takes."
"How do you know that we arrested the wrong man?"
"I've been receiving letters. Taunting me, telling me that whoever sent them is the one who really murdered my wife. Which brings us to my taking you as my hostage. Your people will do just about anything to get you back safely, including solving my wife's murder properly."
"What was your wife's name?"
"Emily Lancaster."
Jenny nodded, thinking quickly. She was familiar with the case, DiNozzo and McGee had worked countless hours of overtime to solve it, and she frowned as she tried to stay calm.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere that no one will find you."
As she was pulled from the back of the car, Jenny realised that she still had her phone in her back pocket. Maybe, just maybe, she could get a message to DiNozzo. Or McGee. Hell, even Carly would be able to help her if she could be specific enough. She was thankful that her shirt was long enough to cover her pocket, concealing it from view, and as she was pushed into the house, she let her eyes take in every detail of the area surrounding her.
Much to her dismay, she wasn't given much time to look around, and as she was roughly shoved down a set of basement steps, she fought to keep her panic under control, wincing in pain as her hands were tied behind her back. She was forcefully placed into a large cage that she suspected had once housed a large dog, and when she was suddenly blinded by the flash of a camera, she blinked quickly.
"Won't do any good to keep you here if I don't have proof. Now, give me the number of your agent who worked the case."
Knowing there was no other alternative, Jenny nodded, quietly reciting DiNozzo's number, and as soon as she had finished, Lancaster gave her a disturbing smile.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Director Shepard."
In all her life, Jenny had never found such simple words so terrifying.
Gibbs
It was only through a pure stroke of luck that Gibbs just so happened to be at the Navy Yard when Tony DiNozzo received a text message from an unknown number containing an extremely alarming photograph, and he frowned when the younger man swore loudly after opening it. He immediately showed it to Tim McGee, whose eyes widened in shock and fear, and when they both exchanged a worried glance, Gibbs was instantly on high alert.
"Something wrong?"
"Someone has Jenny," DiNozzo replied softly, beckoning him closer, "Look."
Gibbs' heart began to pound in his chest as his eyes finally understood what they were seeing, and he looked at the team leader seriously.
"How do we trace that?"
"I can run the number and that should tell us who sent the message, but if they aren't near her anymore, it won't help us find her," McGee replied.
"No need," DiNozzo cut in, "They just sent another text. Listen: Re-open the case on Emily Lancaster. You arrested the wrong man. Find out who really murdered my wife or your Director dies. You have 6 hours. Sounds like Lieutenant Lancaster's husband is our guy."
Gibbs frowned, looking between them in confusion.
"What was the Lancaster case?"
"Young woman was found murdered in a back alley downtown. We worked for days tracking down the man who murdered her, but it looks like her husband thinks we got the wrong person."
"How are we supposed to do this in 6 hours? Where do we even start looking?" McGee asked.
"Let's go over every piece of evidence, every statement, leave nothing untouched."
Gibbs nodded, sitting down behind Jenny's old desk, grabbing a notepad and a pencil.
"Let me help. Maybe I can be a fresh set of eyes."
DiNozzo smiled, nodding at him once.
"Works for me."
Gibbs nodding, accepting the large file folder that McGee handed him seriously. If they couldn't find anything, he didn't even want to think about what the consequences would be.
Hours later, Gibbs found that all the words in the files were beginning to blur together, and he sighed as he took a long drink of his coffee. He frowned as he continued to read, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and when a few choice words jumped out at him from the page, he shook his head.
"Wait. No one heard the shooting? In a crowded place like that? Even with the sounds of the city, someone would have heard something, And the DNA was found under the nails but there were no signs of a struggle? Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?"
DiNozzo nodded, thinking hard.
"You've got a point, Gibbs. Anything else unusual grab you?"
Gibbs frowned, turning his attention back to the pages, and as his eyes moved over the words, he nodded again.
"Did anyone even consider the possibility that the body may have been dumped there?"
"We did, but with the DNA evidence, it seemed like an open and shut case."
Gibbs nodded, but the serious look in his eyes never wavered.
"Let's work that angle now. It seems like our best bet and Jen doesn't have a lot of time here."
Picking up the file again, Gibbs forced himself to focus on the words in front of him, refusing to let his mind wander to Jenny. After all, neither of them could afford for him to waste any time.
"Doesn't anyone think it's odd that the Emily Lancaster named her CO as the beneficiary for her life insurance policy? Wouldn't it make more sense to leave that money to her husband?"
DiNozzo froze, looking at Gibbs as though he'd grown another head, and when he found his voice, it was somewhat hoarse.
"How do you know that?"
"I made some calls. Really wasn't that hard to find out. Sounds like motive to me."
The team leader nodded, looking at him with an expression that clearly said he was impressed.
"Let's go pay that CO a visit."
Shepard
Though she'd tried her best to ignore the feeling, there was no denying that she was thirsty. At first, the feeling had taken a backseat to her fear that she would never admit to having, but now it had returned in full force, making it difficult for her to think of anything else. Her tongue was beginning to feel too thick for her mouth, and as she tried yet again to pull her phone from her pocket, she sighed in frustration. The ropes around her wrists were unbearably tight, making it impossible for her to move her hands enough to reach her phone, and she let her head fall against the wall of the cage in defeat.
"Son of a bitch," she whispered.
Closing her eyes, Jenny found her thoughts turning to DiNozzo and McGee, wondering what they were doing to re-open the case, or even if they had. Surely they would have, but then again, she had trained them to not negotiate with criminals unless absolutely necessary. The door of the basement opened, revealing Lancaster, and as he approached the cage, he gave her a smile that did nothing to calm her.
"It seems that your agents value you a great deal, Director Shepard. They've wasted no time in doing as I've asked, and while I am pleased, it reminded me that I've overlooked a major detail."
"What's that?" Jenny asked hoarsely.
"Your phone. I do believe it's still in your possession, and that, my dear Director Shepard, simply won't do."
He opened the door, reaching in to grab her by her arm, and as she was pulled from the cage, she swung her legs backward, kicking him in an attempt to break free. To her disappointment, he never released his hold on her and as her phone was taken from her back pocket, he shook his head slowly.
"I'll give you credit for trying," he said, pushing her back into the cage and clicking the padlock into place, "but I would advise against anything like it again. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."
As she listened to his retreating footsteps, followed by the closing of the basement door, Jenny fought against every urge in her body to cry.
She had no idea of how long she'd lain on the hard plastic of the cage she was imprisoned in, but if she'd had to guess, she would have placed her money on at least three hours. The thirst that had at first only been mildly annoying was borderline insufferable now, and as she struggled to stay awake, Jenny swallowed thickly.
"You know, it's entirely possible that you're going to die in here."
Jenny frowned at the voice, raising her head slowly, and when her eyes landed on the figure just outside the cage, she blinked hard.
"H-Heather?"
Her sister smiled at her, though it was anything but comforting, and laughed quietly.
"Surely even you can figure out what this means."
"Am I dying? Or just hallucinating?"
"Hm...hard to say. Could be just your mind's way of surviving this, or you could be extremely close to death. I doubt it, though. It hasn't been that long," Heather mused thoughtfully.
Jenny said nothing, merely staring at her, and when Heather spoke again, her voice was matter-of-fact.
"He's going to kill you. But then again, you already know that, don't you?"
"Stop it," Jenny said softly.
"Maybe he won't, though. Maybe he'll lose his nerve. Or maybe he'll just get bored and give up."
Jenny closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly, hoping that would cause her vision to disappear. When this proved to be false, she moved closer to the bars of the cage, laying her head against them.
"He won't even need to do anything. All he has to do is just leave you here. You won't last long. Not with all the trauma you've put your body through over the years. Bet you wish you hadn't relapsed now, huh? And who's going to take care of Carly when you're dead? Jethro doesn't know enough to really help her and without you, why would he even care?"
"Shut up" Jenny whispered.
"Look at you, Jenny. You're so pathetic. It's almost enough to make me feel sorry for you. Almost, but not quite."
"Shut up!" she screamed.
"If this is all it takes to make you lose your mind, maybe you deserve to be in there."
A quiet whimper was all that escaped her closed lips.
Gibbs
"Gibbs, has anyone ever told you that you're brilliant?"
"Once or twice," Gibbs replied shortly, "We've got motive, we've got a weapon, but we've got no actual proof. And we've got less than two hours to figure it out. The CO admitted to having Lancaster name him as beneficiary and while it's a motive, there's nothing tying him to the murder so—wait."
Gibbs paused, remembering something that the CO had said during their line of questioning.
"Westen mentioned the DNA that was found under the victim's nails. Was that public knowledge?"
DiNozzo shook his head.
"No. The only things that were public were the shooting and location of the body."
"So how did the CO know about it?"
"I think it's time we paid Westen another visit," McGee said with a smile.
"Two interrogations in one day seems a bit excessive, don't you think, Agent DiNozzo?"
DiNozzo gave Westen a look that was falsely reassuring, and shook his head.
"Commander Westen, we just have a few more questions for you regarding something you said in our previous conversation. Now, you mentioned that the incriminating piece of evidence in Lieutenant Lancaster's murder was the DNA found under her nails, didn't you?"
"Yes, what's the problem with that? It's the truth."
DiNozzo laughed quietly, shaking his head.
"The problem is that this isn't public knowledge. The only people who know about the DNA under her nails are us, the police, and the murderer."
"Are you accusing me of murder?"
"Are you guilty of murder?"
Gibbs fought the urge to laugh on the other side of the glass, in spite of the seriousness of the situation. DiNozzo definitely had talent, that was certain.
"Did you really think that no one would find it strange that you inherited everything in the event of her death? How long were you planning this and how did you manage to convince her to sign her life insurance over to you? Or did you? It's possible that you forged her signature."
DiNozzo pulled a piece of paper from the file folder in front of him, placing it next to another one on the table.
"In fact, I would say it's almost certain that you forged her signature. Look at the two here. One belongs to Emily Lancaster, pulled from her drivers license. The other...well, it's close, but there are little discrepancies here that simply don't match, even accounting for the fact that our signatures are always a little different."
Something in the Commander's face changed and Gibbs smiled, nodding to himself. They had him now.
"So you think because I forged her signature that automatically means I murdered her?"
"Oh, so you're admitting to forgery?"
Gibbs had to admit, had the stakes not been so dangerously high, he would have been thoroughly enjoying himself.
Just as DiNozzo was leaving the interrogation room after having finally gotten a confession from Commander Issac Westen, his phone rang, causing him to jump slightly.
"DiNozzo."
"Have you apprehended the murderer?"
"Lancaster, I presume?"
"Answer the question, Agent DiNozzo."
Waving McGee and Gibbs over to him, DiNozzo placed the call on speaker phone, warning them both to stay silent.
"Yes, we have the man responsible for your wife's murder. Now, where is Director Shepard?"
"Patience, Agent DiNozzo. As soon as the murderer is arrested, I'll give you the location of—"
"Now, Lancaster! The police are on their way."
There was a pause on the other end of the line and for one horrible moment, Gibbs was sure that Lancaster wasn't going to answer them.
"The address is 162 Howlett Drive. You'll find her in the basement."
Gibbs didn't wait to see how the rest of the conversation played out, pulling his keys from his pocket as he made a mad dash for the elevator, and as the silver doors closed, McGee gave him a silent wave.
Shepard
"Do you want orchids or roses on your coffin, Jenny?"
Jenny ignored the appartition of her sister, closing her eyes tightly as she laid on the floor of the cage, and fought the urge to scream, suddenly very aware of the beating of her own heart.
"It's a fair question. Roses are traditional, but orchids are your favourite. I would personally go with roses just from a financial standpoint, but that's just me. After all, I had white roses at my funeral, remember?"
"I remember," Jenny whispered.
Her head had long ago begun to have that familiar lightheaded feeling that always occurred before passing out, and as she took a deep breath, Jenny began to seriously consider what would happen should Lancaster not return. Would he leave her there for weeks? Months? Or would he simply dump her body somewhere to be found by an innocent passerby? Or worse, be eaten by animals? Would she even have a funeral?
She could feel her body giving in to the exhaustion she'd been fighting and she mentally cursed herself as she realised that her vision of Heather had been correct. She wouldn't have been so physically bad off had she not already pushed her body to the brink, and now she had no one to blame but herself. She was going to die down here in this dark basement and it was her own fault.
She had just slipped into that limbo between consciousness and unconsciousness when there were thundering footsteps on the stairs and it dimly occurred to her that Lancaster must have returned. She was, however, too exhausted to care anymore, and she didn't so much as move when she faintly heard the basement door open. There was the soft sound of someone rummaging around in the room, though she paid it no attention, and it wasn't until she heard the lock being broken that she opened her eyes.
"Jen?"
Oh, this wasn't fair. As if it wasn't enough that her mind was making her hallucinate Heather, now it wanted to add Gibbs into the mix? Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.
"Jen, can you hear me?"
She said nothing, merely staring at him, and it took the touch of his hand on her arm for her to realise that this was, in fact, not her mind playing tricks on her. He pulled her from the cage, lifting her into his arms carefully, and as she looked up at him, she slowly raised her hand to touch his face weakly.
"Jethro?"
"I'm here, Jen."
Her head fell against his chest as she passed out, a combination of exhaustion, fear, and relief, and as Gibbs carried her from the room, Jenny couldn't have cared less about anything in the world.
After being placed in a hospital room for observation, Jenny was finally awake and allowed to have visitors, the first of which was Tony DiNozzo, and she gave him a warm but tired smile as he sat next to her bed.
"How do you feel, Shep?"
"I've had worse, but I've definitely been better. I suppose I owe you a pretty big thank you for saving my life."
DiNozzo shook his head.
"I can't take the credit for this one. It was Gibbs. He saw things that we missed, pieced everything together...it was amazing. He'd make one hell of an agent."
Jenny laughed quietly, shaking her head.
"Maybe I'll offer him a job."
DiNozzo smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
"Speaking of Gibbs, he's waiting outside. I'll let you have the room."
"Tony?"
He turned just inside the doorway, raising his eyebrows in question.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Red."
As soon as Gibbs entered the room, Jenny felt immediately calmer, giving him a smile as he took the seat that DiNozzo had previously occupied.
"Carly's on her way here."
"Tony tells me that you were the one who figured everything out."
Gibbs shrugged.
"Wasn't hard when you approached it from an outsider's perspective. They were easy details to miss if you'd spent as much time as they did looking at that case. I just got lucky."
"I'd be dead if it wasn't for you," she said softly.
He shook his head, reaching for her hand.
"Not a chance in hell, Jen. I wasn't giving up without finding you and neither would DiNozzo or McGee. They wouldn't have let you down."
Jenny was silent for a long moment, considering her next sentence, and when she spoke, her voice was softer than she'd expected.
"Would you like a job with NCIS? We could use someone like you."
"You're delirious," Gibbs laughed.
"No, I was delirious in that basement when I saw my sister. I'm perfectly lucid now."
Gibbs seemed to turn her words over in his mind for a minute and when he finally shook his head, he gave her a smile that could almost be considered apologetic.
"Let me think about it for a while. Consider my options. Sound good?"
She nodded, smiling when he kissed her gently.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Jen. So much."
There was a knock on the door and as it swung open, Jenny couldn't keep her smile from her face as Carly entered the room.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"I'm just here for observation. I'm fine. A little dehydrated, but nothing major."
"I'm starting to think they should just give you your own wing in the hospital at this point," Carly replied jokingly.
"Don't push it, Little One. I can still take you down."
Gibbs laughed, standing up to let Carly have the chair he'd been sitting in, and when she took it, he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"So, who did you piss off this time?"
Jenny laughed softly, shaking her head.
"Wasn't me this time. Blame Tony."
As she started to explain, Jenny suddenly paused, looking at Gibbs worriedly.
"Jethro, I need to replace my phone. Lancaster took it."
Gibbs shook his head, pulling it from his pocket.
"It was by the basement door. I grabbed it when I was looking for something to break the lock."
Jenny smiled.
"Have I mentioned how much I love you?"
Gibbs
That night as he watched Jenny sleep, Gibbs found that he couldn't stop thinking about her job offer, wondering just how serious she'd been. It was no secret that he sometimes found his work boring and he had enjoyed solving the case he'd been presented with, but did he really want to just jump right into something new? He reached for her hand, running his thumb over the back of her skin, and as he raised it to his lips, he frowned.
It would make him feel somewhat better to know that he was closer to her every day, knowing that if something were to happen, he wouldn't have to leave work to be there, and when he ran his hand over her hair, he realised that he was slowly talking himself into accepting her offer. He only hoped she was serious about it.
Carly had gone back to the house a few hours ago, leaving him to sit with Jenny, and as he laid his head on the pillow next to her, he found his thoughts returning to the events of the day and just how worried he'd been. He couldn't imagine his life without Jenny, didn't even want to try, and the fact that someone had willingly put her in danger made him so angry that he couldn't think straight.
Jenny stirred slightly next to him, her eyes opening slowly, and when she said his name, he raised his head, looking at her in concern.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"You're still here?"
"Course I am. Not going anywhere. I sent Carly home awhile ago. Didn't want her to sleep in a hard chair all night."
"And yet here you are," Jenny replied with a soft laugh.
Gibbs shrugged, kissing her gently.
"What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment."
Something she'd said earlier in the day resurfaced in his mind and he frowned as he looked at her carefully.
"Jen, what did you mean earlier when you said you'd seen Heather?"
Jenny sighed, shaking her head.
"When I was in the basement...I was...I guess I was extremely dehydrated, I don't know, but I was sitting in that cage and I could see and hear Heather. I think it was just my mind playing tricks on me."
He nodded.
"Makes sense. Hey, I have another question. Were you serious about the job offer?"
Jenny nodded slowly, a smile flickering across her face.
"Of course I was. I could give you your own team working alongside DiNozzo. He would probably appreciate the time off rotation. That's only if you're interested, though."
"Definitely am. I enjoyed it today, with the obvious exception."
"The bad parking situation?" Jenny asked sarcastically.
"Cute, Jen. Real cute," he replied, rolling his eyes good naturedly.
"I can file the paperwork as soon as I get back to work."
"Jen..." his voice held a note of warning, "you have to take it easy for at least a day."
She laughed, nodding once.
"I will. I fully intend to spend all day tomorrow watching movies with Carly."
"Damn right you are."
Jenny smiled, reaching up to pull him down for a kiss, her fingers running through his hair.
"I like protective Jethro."
He laughed.
"You'd better."
"Oh, I definitely do."
He kissed her again, running his hand through her hair slowly, giving her a smile as he pulled away.
"Marry me, Jen."
"Are you going to ask me that every month?" she laughed.
"Only until you say yes," Gibbs answered, smiling.
"Guess you'll just have to keep at it, then."
"No doubt," he agreed.
Gibbs smiled as he walked through the living room to see Jenny and Carly laying on the couch together, the younger girl spread across the redhead's legs, and as he made his way into the kitchen, Carly spoke up suddenly.
"Hey, can you bring me a soda?"
"Regular or diet?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gibbs froze, worried that Carly would panic over the question, but as it turned out, he needn't have bothered.
"Regular, please."
He pulled the drink from the refrigerator, walking back into the living room, and as he handed it to her, Carly gave him a smile.
"Thanks, Dad."
He nodded, kissing Jenny's hair as he made his way to the basement, and as soon as he had stopped in front of his work table, he reached for the bottle of bourbon sitting on the smooth surface. After the week he'd had, he felt like he definitely deserved a drink. He still couldn't believe that he was actually going to be leaving the Marines, and while he was feeling a bit apprehensive about it, he couldn't deny that he was excited. After all, Jenny had already been the source of so much of his happiness, he didn't think she would steer him wrong in this aspect.
He'd been down in the basement for hours working on his boat when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and when he saw the sneakers come into view, he smiled. Carly had taken to spending quite a lot of time with him while he worked, and he couldn't pretend that he didn't enjoy it. She gave him a smile as she walked down the steps, looking at the boat curiously, and he knew what her question was going to be even before she opened her mouth.
"How do you plan on getting this out of here?"
"Pretty sure you've asked me this before," he pointed out.
Carly nodded.
"I have, but you have yet to give a satisfactory answer."
He laughed.
"You sound like Jen."
She shrugged.
"Learned from the best."
"Point taken."
He took a long drink from his mason jar, deliberately avoiding the question, and she rolled her eyes, laughing quietly.
"Not gonna answer, huh?"
"Break the bottle," he replied vaguely.
Carly nodded, sliding onto one of the stools, picking up one of his tools and turning it over absentmindedly in her hands as she spoke again.
"So, Mom is going to hang out with Jack this Sunday. What do you want to do?"
Gibbs was silent as he considered her question, taking another drink of his bourbon, and he nodded once before answering.
"You want to go car shopping? Yours could use replacing after the accident and that way, you don't have to use one of ours."
Carly frowned.
"I can't afford a new car. I only have the money that you gave me for college. I haven't found a new job yet."
Gibbs waved her words away with a smile.
"Consider it an additional graduation present. Doesn't have to be brand new, just new to you."
"You mean it?"
"Yep."
Carly jumped from the stool, running over to where he stood next to the boat, and threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek hard.
"Thank you! You're the most badass Dad in the world!"
"Remember that come Father's Day and my birthday," he joked.
"You bet your ass I will," Carly promised.
Long after Jenny had gone to spend time with Jack and his boyfriend, Gibbs and Carly had gone to look around at various car lots, and when they had found a vintage Camaro at the third one, Gibbs knew there was no way he was walking away without the car. Carly had fallen in love with it immediately and even Gibbs was forced to admit that it was in surprisingly good condition. After he'd taken it for a short test drive and allowing Carly to drive it once around the block, Gibbs pulled out his check book, preparing to part with his hard-earned money.
As he handed the check over, Gibbs caught sight of Carly standing by the car, running her hand over the shiny black surface and he smiled. No matter how much money it had cost him, it was worth every cent just to see the happiness reflected in her bright blue eyes. She hugged him hard as the salesman handed her the keys, and when she slid behind the wheel, he leaned in through the window.
"Be careful."
"I will. Hey, do you mind if I go pick up Evan?"
He shook his head.
"Just be safe. I'll see you at home later."
"Thanks, Dad. Love you!"
Gibbs smiled, still touched after all this time that she called him "Dad".
"Love you too, kid."
As she pulled away, Gibbs shook his head, laughing quietly to himself. No matter what he tried to tell himself, he knew there was nothing in the world he would refuse his girls. And honestly, that was kind of how he liked it.
The look of shock on Jenny's face when she came home to find Carly's new car sitting in the driveway was so strong that it was comical and Gibbs had to fight his urge to laugh outright. She insisted that he'd spent too much money on the vehicle, but when she saw how excited Carly was about it, she quickly decided that it was better if she said nothing.
They left Carly and Evan to their own devices as they walked down into the basement and as Gibbs reached for Jenny's phone, she frowned in confusion. He quickly pulled up an instrumental song that Jenny immediately recognised and when he held out his hand, she merely stared at him.
"Dance with me, Jen."
"You don't dance," she reminded him.
"I do with you," he corrected her.
She took his hand, allowing him to pull her as close as he possibly could, and as they began to move around the room, she laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. She could smell the comfortiing combination of sawdust, coffee, and bourbon, making her feel much safer than she'd felt in the says since her attack and she smiled as he kissed her temple lightly.
"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Gibbs asked quietly.
"It always bears repeating," Jenny answered with a smile.
"I love you more than all the coffee and bourbon in the world."
Jenny whistled.
"Damn, Jethro. You really know how to make a girl feel special."
Gibbs laughed, brushing her hair back from her face so that he could see her eyes as he looked down at her.
"I would hope so. You make me feel special every single day."
Jenny frowned.
"I don't see how. I'm a mess half the time, always fucking shit up."
He shook hie head, looking at her seriously.
"Everyone makes mistakes, Jen. You know that. That doesn't make you a bad person or mean that you're anything less than remarkable. I've told you before just how much you changed my life for the better. What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
Jenny sighed, closing her eyes as they spun around the room.
"I just don't see how. I'm not—I feel like...you'd be better off without me. I'm a bitch, I'm completely screwed up, I—"
He cut her off with his lips on hers, effectively silencing her words, and looked at her seriously when he pulled back.
"You're so wrong. I couldn't make it without you. And neither could Carly. We need you. Everything about you from your harsh sarcasm to your unapologetic love of Disney films and Halloween."
The smile that she gave him was the perfect way for Leroy Jethro Gibbs to end his night.
A/N: Reviews make me smile for the entire day!
