A/N: I am SO SO sorry for the lack of updates. I was recently in hospital and have undergone quite a few huge life changes (changing jobs, new medications etc.) and it's taken me awhile to get acclimated. Anyway, here is the next chapter, in which we meet a familiar face and Jenny learns how challenging being a parent can be.
Shepard
As much as it annoyed her, Jenny was forced to miss Gibbs' first day as an agent at NCIS due to still being on medical leave and as she laid on the couch in the mid-morning hours, she ran her hand though her hair slowly. She'd been attempting to read a book for the better part of an hour and hadn't made much progress. She had asked Cynthia to file Gibbs' new hire paperwork rather than doing it herself as she'd originally intended and it was taking everything in her power to keep herself from picking up her phone and calling him to see how it was going.
The front door opened and slammed shut quickly, revealing Carly and Evan, and as they passed her to walk in the kitchen, Evan gave her a wave.
"Hi, Jenny."
"Hi, Evan. How's it going?"
Evan laughed, shaking her head.
"I got called here to help Carly study even though I told her that I was taking time off after graduation to figure out what I wanted to do. I'm so sick of school."
Jenny smiled understandingly.
"I know the feeling. I did well in school, but I was so glad to finally be done with it."
"You majored in political science, right?"
Jenny nodded.
"With a minor in literature. It was a nightmare. So much studying that it was unbelievable."
"Evan! Come on! I've got to get the material for my math final perfect!"
Evan rolled her eyes as Carly pulled her up the stairs, causing Jenny to laugh as she turned her attention back to her book. To say that she was annoyed at being put on medical leave for another week was an immense understatement and she was sure that she was going to die of boredom before this was all over...Why did this have to happen to her?
Unable to stand it any longer, she picked up her phone, preparing to call Gibbs and just as she was about to press the button that would connect the call when the sound of raised voices came thundering down the stairs.
"—know why you're making such a big deal out of this! Nothing is wrong and even if it were, you need to mind your own fucking business!"
"You're unbelievable! Carly, I'm just trying to help you! I'm worried about you and if you were thinking clearly, you would be able to see that!"
Footsteps came loudly down the stairs and as Carly came into view, she threw her hair over her shoulder, turning her head to look behind her.
"Leave it alone! I'm fine!"
"Oh, right! That's why you're getting so pissed, then? You're so full of shit, Carls! You're pissed off because you know I'm right!"
"Just get out, Evan! You're making a big deal out of nothing and I have to study."
Evan shook her head in disgust as she stormed through the living room, glaring daggers at her best friend.
"Yeah, and I know exactly what you're "studying" now. I hope you're happy."
Turning to Jenny, she gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Jenny. I know you're supposed to be recovering and I hope I didn't make anything worse."
"It's okay," Jenny said softly.
Carly said nothing as Evan slammed the front door behind her and after a few long awkward moments, Jenny turned her attention to her daughter, her eyes filled with questions.
"What the hell just happened?"
Carly shook her head.
"Nothing. Just Evan blowing everything out of proportion. It's no big deal. I'm going to keep studying, okay?"
"Okay, Little One. Let me know if you need anything."
Carly nodded and made her way way back up the stairs, leaving Jenny to stare after her in confusion, her phone call now long forgotten.
Jenny's thought kept returning to the fight between Carly and Evan throughout the day and as she flipped mindlessly through the channels on the television, she sighed. It was unlike Carly to yell, especially where Evan was concerned, and she wondered what could have been said in the minutes leading up to the argument. Still, she reasoned, it was none of her business and if Carly didn't want to confide in her, that was her choice.
She was so consumed by her thoughts that she barely registered the front door opening as Gibbs returned home from work and when he sat down next to her, she jumped slightly.
"How was your day?" he asked, kissing her cheek lightly.
"Strange," she said slowly, "I'm extremely confused. But that's a discussion for another time. What about you? How was your first day? Is my agency still standing?"
He laughed, nodding as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"It went fine. Thought I was going to kill DiNozzo after about an hour of him giving me hell for sleeping with the boss and then when McGee pointed out that he'd done exactly the same thing, he shut right up. It was pretty amusing, to be honest."
"Our little McGee is learning to dish it out as well as take it. I'm so proud," Jenny answered with a smile, "Did you get a case?"
He shook his head.
"Not today. Probably a good thing since my team isn't really assembled yet."
Jenny nodded in understanding.
"Very true. Your team is being compiled, don't worry. Your first agent will be in tomorrow. I think you'll like her. Her name is Caitlin Todd. Former Secret Service. She comes very highly recommended."
He frowned.
"Thought she was going to be on DiNozzo's team."
Jenny sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"She was, but I've found someone else to fill that role. She's former Mossad. Her name is Ziva David. If Tony gives her too much shit, she'd have no problem killing him, and I think that's exactly what he needs. Your other two agents are Lucas Harrington and Nicholas Garrett. They also came with glowing recommendations."
He noticed that something seemed to be on her mind and when he pulled back to look at her, he frowned at the look on her face.
"Something wrong?"
She sighed, thinking.
"Carly had a fight with Evan today. They came over so Evan could help her study for her finals and something must have happened. They hadn't been in her room maybe ten minutes before they started yelling at each other. Evan left and I haven't seen Carly since. I keep telling myself that if she wanted to talk, she would have asked, but I just feel like there's something going on with her."
Gibbs nodded, his eyes thoughtful.
"Remember how long she shut you out after you had that fight? I think with her, these things just take a bit more time."
"I'm sure you're right, I just...I can't help but worry."
"You think too much, Jen."
She laughed.
"So you keep reminding me. I just...Carly spends so much time alone in her room and Evan is the closest friend she has. I don't want her to be completely cut off."
Gibbs nodded, kissing her temple lightly.
"I know. But Jen...she's a teenager. You remember how things were back when you were her age? Everything was the end of the world."
Jenny sighed, nodding slowly as she stood up.
"True. But I'm still worried. I'm going to check on her."
She made her way to the stairs, walking up them quickly, and as she disappeared from his line of sight, Gibbs laughed quietly to himself. For someone who had never even considered being a mother before Carly, Jenny was certainly adapting to the role exceptionally well.
To her surprise, Carly wasn't in her room when she knocked on the door, but Jenny pushed it open anyway. Her laptop was open on her bed and as Jenny sat down on the mattress, she ran her hand through her hair, debating with herself on whether or not she should go through the younger girl's belongings. Ultimately, she decided not to pry, leaving the choice to Carly, and just as she was preparing to leave the room, the laptop made a strange beeping sound.
Though she had decided to not go through Carly's things, her curiosty got the better of her and she glanced at the screen quickly. The words "Tips, Tricks, and Techniques" flashed on the small screen for a brief moment, and Jenny frowned as she read more.
Leave dishes siting around the house to make it appear as though you've been eating.
"Drink" from an opaque cup and spit chewed food into it. Do not swallow.
Create triggering artwork—stick-thin girls with their spines exposed or rotting food.
Unable to stand reading anymore, Jenny turned away, her eyes burning as she took a step towards the door. Was this what Evan had seen? If so, Jenny completely understood her reaction, and she shook her head as she made her way to the hallway. As she walked back down the stairs, the redhead thought back over the past few weeks, trying to remember if she'd noticed any changes in Carly's behaviour. To her dismay, she realised that she'd had to remind her daughter various times not to leave her dishes scattered around the house and she sighed.
Gibbs was still sitting on the couch when she returned to the living room and when she sat down slowly next to him, he gave her a strange look.
"What's wrong?"
Jenny sighed again, shaking her head.
"I don't know. You know how Evan and Carly had that fight?"
He nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"I think I know what it was about. I was going up to check on her and her laptop was open. There was this list on it...ways to avoid eating without getting caught."
"You think she's relapsed."
It wasn't a question, but Jenny nodded regardless.
"I'd be willing to bet money on it. But how do I bring it up to her without pissing her off because I looked at her personal belongings?"
"Did you look through them on purpose?"
"Of course not," Jenny said, rolling her eyes slightly, "it was an honest mistake. But she's a teenager and like you said, everything tends to be the end of the world when you're young."
"So don't bring it up."
"You're not serious," she replied, looking at him as though he'd gone insane, "Jethro, I can't just pretend that I don't know. You remember how sick she was before. What if she gets worse?"
"Hear me out," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Give it a week. That's enough time for her to calm down and work through a few things. If she's still icing out Evan, bring up the fight. Ask her if she's heard from Evan. If she says no, ask her what happened. See what she's willing to offer up on her own. If she doesn't tell you anything at all and she gets into dangerous territory, then we step in no matter what. She's a smart kid. Give her a chance."
As much as she hated to admit it, Gibbs made a very good point, and she nodded finally, taking in a deep breath.
"I knew there was a reason I loved you."
He laughed.
"Because my ass looks great in jeans?"
Jenny nodded, kissing him gently.
"Damn straight."
Gibbs
In spite of his reassurances to Jenny, Gibbs had to admit that he was concerned for Carly's well-being, but he forced these thoughts to the back of his mind as he walked into work the following day. It was strange, being in the building without his favourite redhead, but she was still out for another day, and as he sat down behind his desk, he caught DiNozzo watching him from behind his own desk.
"Something you want to say?"
The younger agent shook his head.
"Just not used to you being here yet."
"Makes two of us," Gibbs muttered as the elevator chimed.
McGee waved at both of them as he walked towards his desk, a cup of coffee held tightly in his right hand. In his left, he carried a well-worn notebook, making Gibbs raise his eyebrow in curiosity and as he followed the other team leader's gaze, DiNozzo nodded in understanding.
"Our little Probie fancies himself a writer."
"I am a writer, Tony," McGee said, his annoyance evident in his tone," and as of tomorrow, I'm not your "little Probie" anymore."
DiNozzo shook his head, smiling.
"Once a Probie, always a Probie."
Gibbs bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing at the indignant look on the young agent's face and when the elevator dinged again, he was thankful for the distraction. A young woman in her late twenties or early thirties (he was guessing here) stepped into the squad room, her dark mahogany hair pulled back in a sensible ponytail and as she walked over to them, Gibbs couldn't help but be impressed by her confident stride.
"Are you Agent Gibbs?" she asked DiNozzo, glancing at him briefly.
"That all depends on who's looking for him. I could be."
"I'm Kate Todd. And if you aren't Gibbs, could you please point me in the proper direction?"
Gibbs stood up from behind his desk, holding out his hand.
"I'm Gibbs."
He nodded at the empty desk next to his own as she shook his outstretched hand.
"That's your desk. I expect you to keep it organised."
Kate nodded, smiling at him. She really was quite pretty, if he were being honest. Not really his type, but he could definitely understand why DiNozzo had been so obviously attracted to her.
"And you are?" she asked, looking at the second team leader.
"Tony DiNozzo. And that little computer nerd turned writer over here next to me is McGee. You'll have to forgive him. He's a bit awkward around women. Awkward around everyone, actually."
"Shut up, Tony," McGee snapped before turning to Kate and smiling, "I'm Tim. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the team."
"Thanks."
"Hey, Gibbs, when's the fearless leader due back?"
Gibbs smirked.
"Gonna tell her you called her that."
DiNozzo looked appropriately terrified, but waited for his answer nonetheless.
"Be back tomorrow."
"Good. Too quiet here without her."
McGee frowned.
"How so? She's not our team leader anymore. She stays in her office."
DiNozzo nodded, but kept his smile in place.
"Yeah, but she still comes down to see how we're doing. You know Jenny could never completely let go of being a field agent."
Gibbs laughed, causing McGee to glance at him in surprise.
"For once, he's got a point."
Halfway through the day, Gibbs received his first case, answering his phone with a briskness that came from years of military training, and as he hung up, he glanced at the young woman sitting next to him.
"Grab your gear."
Kate nodded, hoisting the backpack to her shoulder as DiNozzo wished her luck, and Gibbs threw him a glare as they walked towards the elevator. They said nothing as they rode the lift down and as they reached their car, Kate smiled. There was an unspoken agreement between them that Gibbs would be the one to drive and as she threw her bag in the back, Gibbs pulled his seatbelt across his body.
"So, who's the fearless leader?" Kate asked as he put the car into gear.
He didn't answer her as he backed out of their space, but as soon as he had pulled onto the main road, he glanced at her quickly.
"Director Shepard. She's the one you really have to impress."
Kate nodded.
"What's she like?"
"You'll see."
He left it at that, concentrating on the road as he maneuvered the car through traffic, and he found that he had to fight to keep a smile from his face as he thought of the honest answer to Kate's question.
"Oh, my God," Kate murmured softly as she knelt down next to Gibbs.
He balanced carefully on his feet in the damp grass, holding out his hand for the evidence bag she had produced from her backpack. Carefully, so as not to damage anything, he lifted the severed foot from its place under the small bush, placing it gently into the evidence bag. It occurred to him, as he observed their surroundings, that they were in the very same park that he and Jenny had fled to on Heather's birthday following their dine-and-dash adventure, and he frowned.
"Check the areas near here," he instructed Kate firmly, "See if there are any other pieces."
She nodded, moving to do the task quickly and as he examined the surrounding area, he frowned. After several minutes of searching, he found that his thoughts were wandering, to Jenny, to Carly, to Shannon, to Kelly, and he shook his head to clear it. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary anywhere near him (minus the aforementioned severed foot), and as he straightened up, he whistled sharply to get Kate's attention.
"I don't think we're gonna find anything else here. Abby might be able to tell us more when we get back."
Kate frowned.
"Abby?"
Oh, yeah. That's right. He'd completely forgotten that Kate hadn't met the forensic scientist yet. He smirked to himself as he nodded his head in the direction of their car.
"You'll love her."
Not long after they returned to the Navy Yard, Gibbs found himself sitting idly behind his desk, wondering just what he hoped to learn from a severed foot with no other evidence, no other leads, and as he was pondering this particular turn of events, his phone rang shrilly, causing even Kate to jump at her desk.
"Yeah. Gibbs."
"Hey. How's your day going? Did Agent Todd arrive?"
"She's here. Younger than I thought. Got a case."
"Anything interesting?"
Gibbs fought the urge to laugh. DiNozzo was right about one thing: Jenny would never entirely give up the side of her that genuinely loved field work.
"Severed foot in the park near the old apartment."
"That's it? Nothing else?"
Now he did laugh, shaking his head.
"Sorry to disappoint, Madame Director."
Jenny sighed and he could almost picture her rolling her eyes as soon as she heard the hated title.
"What have I told you about that?"
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. DiNozzo asked me how the fearless leader was doing today."
"I'll kill him," Jenny muttered.
Gibbs shook his head again, smirking at the thought.
"I'll help you hide the body."
"Knew I hired you for a reason. Let me know if anything drastic happens."
"Yes, ma'am."
He hung up, glancing over at DiNozzo in amusement.
"You might want to make sure your affairs are in order before tomorrow."
DiNozzo paled, looking over at McGee nervously.
"She threatened to kill me, didn't she?"
Gibbs merely raised his eyebrow in response.
To his disappointment, nothing else of interest happened for the remainder of the day, and as he gathered his things, Gibbs frowned, turning off the light above his desk. Truth be told, he was feeling more than a little annoyed at the way his day had turned out, with no additional leads to speak of in his case, and as he had given Kate permission to leave for the night, he suspected he had been a bit harsher than he'd intended.
As he drove, he found his thoughts once more turning to Carly and the information Jenny had found on her laptop. He had never claimed to be an expert when dealing with women (quite the opposite, in fact), but he honestly believed he was taking the best approach in this instance. He only hoped that he was right...
Jenny was relaxing in the living room when he walked through the front door, an open book perched on the arm of the couch, nursing a a nearly-empty glass of bourbon on the table next to her. He frowned at the loud music coming from above his head and as he closed the door, he gave Jenny a confused look. She sighed and shrugged, looking towards the stairs slowly.
"I don't know. She's been really pissed off all day. Every time I try to talk to her about anything, she just says that nothing is wrong and goes back to ignoring me. She's been upstairs in her room almost the entire day."
Gibbs frowned before making his way up the stairs and as he neared Carly's room, he raised his hand. Knocking lightly on the door, he pushed it open slowly, giving her what he hoped was a warm smile. She reached out to turn down her music before speaking and when she did, it was only one single word.
"What?"
"Everything okay?"
"Fine," she replied shortly.
He said nothing, merely waitng to see if she would open up to him and when she stayed silent, he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"If you want to talk about anything, you know where to find me. Or your mom."
Carly gave no indication that she'd heard him and as he walked through the open door, he sighed internally. Kids were so difficult to figure out sometimes...
As he walked back down the stairs, Jenny raised her head at the sound of his footsteps, frowning when he shook his head. He wished that he'd had better news to give her, but in this instance, he was just as lost as she was.
"What do we do?"
He shrugged.
"Nothing, for now. Give her time."
"You know I'm terrible at pacing myself."
He nodded, holding out his hand.
"I know."
She gave him a confused look as he led her to the steps of the basement and when he opened the door, he smiled.
"Want to show you something."
She nodded, allowing him to lead the way as she closed the door behind them, the sounds of Carly's music still drifting to them, and as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes widened in surprise.
"You finished it!"
It was true. Save for a few final touch-ups, his beloved boat was now finished, perfectly polished and smooth, and as she ran her hand over the wood, Jenny couldn't keep her smile from her face.
"It's beautiful, Jethro. Really. I'm extremely impressed."
"Never thought I would hear you admit to being impressed, Jen."
She laughed, stepping back to admire the boat more fully.
"Don't get used to it, Leroy Jethro. It doesn't happen often."
His laugh joined hers as she looked at the boat and when she turned around to kiss him, his hands went instinctively to her waist. Without thinking, he turned her and lifted her up onto the work table, standing in front of her as his lips found her throat. He brushed her hair to one side as his hands followed the curves of her body, and as her fingers laced through his hair, he cupped her right breast with his left hand. His right slid between her legs, brushing against the denim jeans she wore, causing her to inhale sharply, and as he reached for the button on her jeans, she whispered his name. His hand moved past thr barrier of her underwear, touching her with just enough pressure to be painful in the best way, her head falling onto his shoulder.
"God, Jethro," she whispered, "Don't stop."
He moved his hand faster, tilting her head back just enough that he could capture her lips with his own, and as his tongue swept into her mouth, Jenny tightened her grip on his shoulder. Just as he was pulling her closer, he was suddenly struck by the unshakable feeling that something was different than it had been before and he stopped moving entirely. His every sense was on high alert, listening intently, and when Jenny opened her eyes to look at him, he could feel her confusion.
"Jethro," she began breathlessly, "what—"
He held up a hand to signal for silence and she quickly buttoned and zipped her jeans, hopping down from the table carefully.
"D'you hear that?"
She frowned, listening closely.
"I don't hear anything."
He nodded.
"Carly's music stopped."
"She probably turned it off to take a shower or something."
"Maybe" he allowed slowly, "but I just have this feeling that something is wrong here."
They made their way swiftly to the stairs, Jenny bolting for the steps to the second floor as soon as she had cleared the basement door, and when she reached Carly's closed door, she knocked on it loudly.
"Little One? Everything okay in there?"
There was no answer and Jenny turned to look at Gibbs worriedly as he came up behind her.
"Carly? Please answer me."
She tried to open the door but found that the knob simply slid through her hand and she rattled it uselessly.
"Little One? Carly?"
"Carly, if you don't give me some kind of answer in the next ten seconds, I'm breaking down the door," Gibbs warned, his worry clear in his tone.
Jenny's voice was almost begging as she spoke to him, her fear almost palpable.
"Break it, Jethro."
He nodded, raising his foot and slamming it into the heavy wooden door. It rattled but didn't give, and as he threw his shoulder into it, he closed his eyes in slight pain. Jenny touched his arm lightly, her meaning clear and at his signal, they both threw their entire weight into the door, nearly falling as it finally gave way. Jenny frowned when she realised that the room was completely empty, Carly's phone lying on her bed forgotten, the open window making the curtains sway in the slight breeze.
"Where is she?"
Gibbs shook his head, walking over to the window and as he noticed the empty space where Carly typically parked her car, he gestured for Jenny to come closer.
"Car's gone."
"But why would she go out the window? She wasn't being forced to stay in the house."
"My best guess is that she didn't want us to know she was gone."
Jenny shook her head and he was surprised to see that there were tears in her eyes. He was just about to tell her not to worry when she swore loudly, slamming her hand against the wall next to the window.
"Jen?"
"I'm going to kill her when she gets back here. Make no mistake, Jethro. This crosses lines I didn't even know I had."
It occurred to him that he'd never seen Jenny this angry before and he placed his hand on her shoulder, gently steering her in the direction of the door. She pulled out of his grasp quickly, reaching for Carly's phone and as she unlocked it, she ignored all of Gibbs' attempts to speak to her. After a few seconds of searching, she held the phone to her ear and just as he was preparing to ask her who she was calling, she spoke.
"Evan, this is Jenny Shepard. Have you heard from Carly today?"
She listened to the response and shook her head slowly.
"No, it's just that she's not here, she left her phone, and I have no idea where she could be. Can you think of anywhere she might go?"
There was a moment's pause and Jenny nodded once.
"Thank you, Evan. I really appreciate it. I'll let you know when I hear something."
She hung up the phone, tossing it back onto the bed, and when she looked at him over her shoulder, she sighed.
"She mentioned something about some kind of party. Something about a "pro-ana" party. Had something to do with their fight. She told me that if I looked through Carly's computer, I might find something, but she wasn't certain. What do we do?"
Gibbs sighed, running through their options in his mind. If they went through Carly's computer, it would be an invasion of privacy and she would be furious with them for who knew how long, but if they didn't, something even worse could happen to her. It was an impossible situation to be in and he shook his head slowly.
"We wait. I know that isn't what you want to hear, Jen, but...if we go through her things, she might never forgive us and we could lose her forever."
Though he could tell that she wanted to argue, she nodded, her eyes still shining with that unbelievable fury.
"You're right," she said finally, "I hate to admit it, but you are."
As much as it gave him some measure of satisfaction to hear those words from her, Gibbs couldn't help but wish that they'd come under better circumstances.
Shepard
It was nearing midnight when Jenny heard the telltale sounds of tires pulling up to the house and she marked her place in her book with a bit of an old receipt. She didn't move as she heard the sounds of Carly attempting to climb up the side of the house to get back into her window and in spite of her anger, she fought the urge to laugh. She made her way up the stairs, standing just inside her daughter's doorway as Carly hoisted herself over the windowsill and through the opening, merely watching.
Carly jumped as soon as she realised that she wasn't alone and a small scream fell from her lips as she dropped her purse onto the floor. Gibbs, hearing the noise from down the hall, walked up behind Jenny, frowning at the two of them as he looked between them.
"What's going on?"
"That's exactly what I was about to ask," Jenny replied, her voice carefully calm, "Little One, would you care to explain exactly what you think you're doing sneaking into the house at midnight?"
Carly said nothing, correctly thinking that it would only hurt her chances at forgiveness, and Jenny smiled, though it was anything but reassuring.
"Well? I'm waiting."
"Mom, I—I was just—"
"Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Jenny all but screamed, ignoring Gibbs' hand on her shoulder.
"Jen, take a breath."
"Absolutely not, Jethro! She snuck out of the house, forced us to break down the door—"
"You broke my door down?" Carly yelled angrily, "How am I supposed to close it?"
"You aren't," Jenny snapped, her voice colder than either Gibbs or Carly had ever heard it, "Privacy is a priviliege, Carly Anna. We broke your door down because we were concerned that something had happened to you. You didn't answer us and so we came in anyway."
"That's ridiculous," Carly scoffed, "Nothing happened to me. I'm fine!"
"If you keep acting this way, that might very well change," Jenny warned her, "I called Evan, worried out of my mind and she told me that she thought you might have gone to a "pro-ana" party. Is that where you were?"
"And if it was? That's none of your business! I'm an adult! You can't tell me where I can or can't go, Mom!"
"And why would Evan think that, anyway?" Jenny asked, her question deliberately leading, "Could it be because you've relapsed and she knows it? That's what your fight was about, wasn't it?"
Carly paled and Jenny knew she'd touched a nerve. She could feel Gibbs still standing behind her, his hand warningly on her shoulder, but she paid him little attention.
"How do you know what we fought about?"
"You just told me," Jenny said with a small sad smile, "And I accidentally found your list of tips and tricks to make it seem like you've been eating. I'm not stupid, Carly."
"You went through my laptop? Is there anything else of my private things you've touched? The unopened box of condoms, maybe?"
"You listen to me, young lady: what you do in your private life is not my business. You're right about that. But when it becomes dangerous to your health and it could cost you your life, I'm damn sure going to make it my business."
"Why do you care, anyway? You're so busy with work and your own recovery that you don't give a damn what happens to me."
Jenny frowned, her anger fading as quickly as it had come, and as she took a step closer, she looked at Carly seriously.
"Is that what you think? Little One, nothing in the world means more to me than you two. I promise you that. Not even my own recovery. I would gladly give you the last bite of food I had if it would help you."
Carly glared at her, but most of her conviction had disappeared, and she shook her head slowly.
"The only reason you've even been around at all is because you got hurt at work. If it wasn't for that, you'd be spending every hour at that damn place."
Jenny sighed, running her hand through her hair.
"Look, Little One...I know I work too much. I always have and I'm new to this whole "being a mother" thing. I don't have a clue what I'm doing half the time. It's not like you came with an instruction manual. I'm going to do my best to be home at reasonable hours and as much as I can, but it might not always be possible. Can you at least give me the chance to try?"
Carly considered this for a moment before nodding and Jenny smiled.
"Besides, once you're through with college, you're going to be moving out, getting your own place, and be living your own amazing life. You won't want your mom crowding you."
Carly shook her head, giving her a smile of her own.
"Even when we're both old, gray, and decrepit, I'll still want you around, Mom. I'll even push you around in your wheelchair."
Jenny laughed, shaking her head.
"Your dad is older than I am. He's the one who will be in the wheelchair, Little One. And if he annoys us, we can push him down a very steep hill. Or just walk up a flight of stairs."
"Standing right here," Gibbs deadpanned, rolling his eyes, "Carly, I know you've been feeling a little left out lately, but I want you to ask yourself something. You said that you were a bit upset about your mom putting her recovery first and I want to come back to that. If she doesn't do that and she gets sick again, what would happen to us? Do you really think either of us could make it without her?"
"Mom, I...I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it. I know that your recovery is important and that you have to take it seriously."
Jenny smiled, reaching out to enfold her in a hug.
"That's the thing, Little One. Your recovery is just as important as mine. I know that you've been struggling lately and I know that relapsing happens to just about every single person who struggles with an addiction, so you need to ask yourself what is the most important thing to you. What would you rather do: help yourself and other people by recovering and sharing your story with them or being thin? What does being thin accomplish? So you're thin. Big fucking deal. Anyone can do that. It doesn't make you special. What makes you special is your empathy, your heart...use them."
Carly frowned.
"You really think I can make a difference?"
Jenny nodded.
"I know you can. Just look at our family and how far we've come since you brought your light into it. No one else could have done that."
"I love you, Mom. You too, Dad."
Jenny kissed her hair, smiling warmly.
"We love you too, Little One."
She released her, nodding at the bed as she took a step back.
"You might want to call Evan. She's probably worried about you."
Carly frowned.
"What do I say to her? I was kind of a bitch."
"You were a complete bitch," Jenny agreed, making Gibbs bite down on his cheek to stifle his laughter, "but you need to own up to it and apologise to her. She's a good friend to you and she loves you."
"You're right."
"I know," Jenny laughed, "Good night."
"Night."
Just before he walked away, Gibbs pulled the door closed, leaving it open slightly.
"Carly?"
"Yeah?"
"Leave the door open three inches from now on."
She frowned.
"Do you want me to get a measuring tape out every night?"
"Three inches," he repeated firmly.
"Yes, sir."
As he walked down the hall to the master bedroom, Jenny's laughter floated to him through the open door.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are lovely!
