A/N: I'm back, my loves! In which we see Gibbs, Jenny and the rest of the crew work tirelessly to solve a case, Carly receives visitors, and our favourite silver fox deals with a difficult day.


Gibbs

It wasn't until Kate Todd waved her goodbye at the end of a very long day that Leroy Jethro Gibbs even considered looking at his watch. It hadn't occurred to him that it was nearing midnight as he rubbed his eyes tiredly, his every sense having been focused on the case that needed to be solved. Both he and Tony DiNozzo were working together on this one, the pressure to catch the person responsible for half a dozen sexual assaults in half as many weeks understandably high, and the older agent was extremely grateful for the team of agents he'd been given.

Ziva David had been a remarkable asset to DiNozzo's team, Nicholas Garrett had more than proven his worth alongside Kate and Harrington, and while they were still no closer to solving this case than they had been the previous day, both team leaders were thankful for the help. He noticed that he was now the only person left in the squad room and he sighed as he realised that he hadn't seen his favourite redhead in hours. He supposed that this shouldn't have surprised him; Jenny had been locking herself away in her office and MTAC consistently for the better part of the last two weeks, hardly speaking to him even when they were out of the office.

He would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't concerned, but he knew Jenny well enough to know that if she wanted to confide in him, she would. If he'd had to guess, he would have said that she was still worried about the man who had been stalking her from the coffee shop, combined with her worry for Carly, and he shook his head as he stood. Whether she liked it or not, he was going to go up to her office and demand that she at least get a decent night of sleep. His knee protested the sudden movement after hours of being immobile, but he didn't stop, blinking hard in his attempt to block out the shooting pain.

Cynthia was nowhere to be found, not that he had expected any different, and as he opened the large silver door, he braced himself for what might be awaiting him on the other side. To his slight surprise, Jenny was merely sitting behind the desk, her chair turned completely around to allow her to look out the large window behind her, and he frowned.

"Jen?"

"Hm?"

"It's late. We should go."

She was silent for a long moment and just when he was thinking that she wouldn't answer, she slowly spun the chair around, her eyes locking on his. The dark circles beneath them were stark in comparison to her pale skin and her slightly tangled hair gave her an almost-wild appearance.

"You okay?"

She nodded, reaching out to turn off her computer, and as she moved, he caught the shaking in her fingers. With both of them working around the clock, it was clear that she hadn't been taking care of her health (not that he was faring much better), and he took a step forward.

"When did you eat last?"

"I could ask you the same question, Leroy Jethro."

Her words were soft, but the sarcasm shone through regardless, making him relax slightly.

"I know you've been working nonstop with DiNozzo to close this case. He included your briefing with his own when asking for overtime approval."

Gibbs shrugged, watching her carefully as she grabbed her jacket from the arm of her couch.

"We're gonna catch this guy, Jen."

She smiled faintly, reaching out to touch his face as she stopped in front of him.

"I know," she said softly.

Though she had no way of knowing it, those two words, spoken so quietly in the darkness of her empty office, gave him more hope than anything else had in days.


By the time they returned home, they were both so exhausted that they didn't even bother to eat, Jenny crawling into the bed as soon as she had changed her clothes. Gibbs settled in next to her, reaching out to pull her into his arms, kissing her cheek lightly as she moved closer to his warmth. Something had been bothering him for the last few days, however, and though he knew she wanted nothing more than to sleep, he was determined to talk to her.

"Jen?"

"Hm?"

He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the faint vanilla scent of her perfume.

"You know that you're safe here, don't you? I promise that nothing is going to happen to you while I'm here."

She hummed softly in response, her head tucked under his chin, and when she spoke, her voice was unexpectedly warm.

"Believe me, Jethro, the last thing I am when I'm with you is worried about my safety."

She paused, raising up to look at him, her green eyes bright in the darkness.

"But thank you," she finished quietly.

Kissing him gently, she settled more comfortably in his arms, and when he felt her breathing steady, he smiled. He was sure that she'd been less than honest with him, after all, he'd seen the fear in her eyes that day in her office, but for now he wasn't going to question it.


It took Gibbs more than a full minute to realise that the members of both MCRTs were staring at him and when he finally looked up from his desk, he frowned in confusion.

"What?"

"Gibbs, I've been calling your name for five minutes. You going deaf in your old age?"

The older man rolled his eyes, glaring at DiNozzo in annoyance.

"Something you needed?"

"Not me. Director Shepard wants to see you. She asked me to send you up when I finished our briefing."

He nodded once, grabbing his coffee as he made his way towards the stairs, fighting the urge to yawn. Damn, these long days and nights were beginning to get to him. He gave Cynthia a tired smile as he walked past her desk, opening the door to Jenny's office with much less force than usual, and when she glanced up from her computer, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Took you long enough," she muttered.

He sighed, looking at her with the slightest hint of irritation.

"You wanted to see me?"

She nodded.

"Yes. Nearly ten minutes ago," she emphasized, her eyes never leaving his.

As he waited for her to continue, he watched her, noticing for the first time that she looked just as exhausted as he felt, and he suddenly felt like an ass. She was working the same amount of hours, sleeping just as uneasily, she didn't deserve his attitude. Not really.

"I know you're busy trying to solve the Carlile case, but I have a proposition for you. What would you say to leaving a few hours early today?"

He frowned, more than a little confused.

"You want this case solved or not?"

She nodded, a hint of a smile playing across her lips, and when she stood up, making her way slowly to him, he couldn't stop the way his eyes trailed over her.

"I wanted this case solved last week, but I think today we have more important things to worry about."

"Such as?"

"Jethro, it's the fourteenth. I think our girl would be pretty upset if we didn't go visit her on the first day we're allowed to be there."

As soon as she'd said it, Gibbs realised that she was right, and he nodded. He'd completely forgotten the date, but the prospect of seeing Carly again made him smile. He'd missed her more than he would have ever admitted to anyone except Jenny and when he laughed, she frowned.

"I think I can manage to leave on time today. As long as my boss doesn't make a federal case about it."

Jenny laughed.

"I think I could persuade her to be lenient just this once. On one condition, of course."

Gibbs raised his eyebrow in question and she took a step closer, running her fingers lightly over his jacket.

"Jethro?"

"Hm?"

"Kiss me."

He pulled her closer, one hand at her waist, the other tangled in her hair, and as soon as their lips met, he realised just how long it had been since he'd truly kissed her. His tongue swept into her mouth slowly, making her grip on his shoulder tighten, and when he lightly bit down on her bottom lip, her sharp intake of breath made him smile. God, he'd forgotten just how much he loved kissing her.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he quickly stepped away from her, crossing the room in three strides. Jenny frowned when he locked the door to her office, but he was back in front of her in mere seconds, his eyes locking on hers.

"What are you doi—"

He silenced her question with his lips on hers, pulling her as close to his body as he possibly could, and when she pushed his jacket from his shoulders, he knew she'd understood. He steered her in the direction of her couch, carefully pushing her down on the leather, and brought his mouth to her throat. A soft moan fell from her lips when his fingers slipped beneath her underwear, brushing lightly against her clit, and she pushed her hands under his shirt slowly.

He stopped touching her long enough to unhook his belt and when she pulled off her underwear, he kissed her again. It wasn't his preferred way to have sex, he would have much rather had the luxury of taking his time, in building the suspense, but as soon as he entered her, he found that he didn't honestly care that much. Each touch, each thrust, each kiss was fueled by a need so strong that he could almost taste it, amplified by the amount of time they'd been apart.

Gibbs reached for her hand with his left, entwining their fingers together, and with his right, he reached between them to touch her, the sensation carefully rough.

"Jethro...fuck, don't stop," she whispered, another quiet moan building in her throat.

He kissed her hard, his rhythm faster now, and when he felt her grip on his fingers tighten, he knew she'd fallen over the edge. He wasn't far behind her, burying his head in her shoulder as his own release crashed into him with the weight of a boulder, and he swore softly.

"I love you, Jen," he whispered, "So damn much."

She gave him a small smile, reaching out to smooth his hair, and when she kissed him, he could feel her shaking slightly.

"I love you, too. But you'd better get back downstairs before DiNozzo gets suspicious."

He laughed, moving carefully as he righted his clothing, and when they were each presentable a few moments later, Jenny shook her head as she sat back down behind her desk, laughing quietly.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Just thinking about what would happen if SecNav found out about this."

Gibbs laughed quietly, giving her a smile as he unlocked and opened her door, realising she made a valid point. They would both be fucked if word ever got out.


As soon as Gibbs returned to the squad room, DiNozzo gave him a confused look, glancing at McGee as the older agent sat down behind his desk.

"Everything okay, Gibbs? You were gone for awhile."

Gibbs shook his head.

"I've got to head out on time today. You got it covered until tomorrow?"

DiNozzo nodded, still looking concerned.

"Something wrong?"

"Nope. Going to see Carly."

"Who's Carly?" Nicholas Garrett asked, looking around the room in confusion.

Gibbs fought the urge to laugh at the comical look on the younger man's face. He really needed to pay closer attention if he wanted to be an investigator.

"Carly is Director Shepard and Gibbs' daughter," McGee explained, "Give her a hug from me. I miss her."

Gibbs nodded, smiling at Jenny's former team.

"I will."

"Wait...you and Director Shepard have a daughter? How old is she?"

"Seventeen," Gibbs replied shortly, "And if you even think about trying anything with her if you ever meet her, I'll shoot you."

DiNozzo laughed, earning him a glare from the older agent, and as he reached for his cup of coffee, he was disappointed to find that it was no longer on his desk. With a jolt, he remembered that he'd left it in Jenny's office and laughed quietly to himself. Maybe another trip up to Her Majesty's office was warranted after all...


Shepard

Jenny couldn't contain her excitement as they walked through the doors of the inpatient facility and as soon as Carly's eyes landed on them both, she bolted from the chair she'd been sitting in, throwing her arms around the redhead. She hugged her so tightly that it was almost painful and when she did the same to Gibbs a few moments later, Jenny laughed softly, shaking her head.

"I take it that you've missed us?"

Carly nodded, stepping away as they walked over to the common area where visitation took place.

"You have no idea. The roommate I have this time is nowhere near as nice as Saoirse. She yells at anyone who even glances at her, starts fights with the nurses, she snores...it's really hard to get any sleep."

Jenny smiled, looking at her curiously, some of her worry fading as she realised that Carly seemed to be doing better than ever, and she wrapped her arm around the younger girl's shoulder.

"You look great," she told her warmly.

Carly smiled.

"I feel pretty great," she said happily, "I think this time, it's really going to work. Last time, I was still angry. At you, at Evan, the universe, but mostly myself. I've come to realise that my anger doesn't solve anything and while it can be useful at times, in this particular situation, it's more of a hindrance."

"Have they given you a time frame for when you might be released?" Gibbs asked.

She nodded, her smile growing.

"Yeah. They said with the amount of progress that I'm making, it could be as early as Monday. As long as I agree to start seeing Nikki Abbott again, which I already did. I like her."

Gibbs was just opening his mouth to respond when the ringing of his phone shattered the silence and he sighed as he pulled it from his pocket.

"It's Kate," he said by way of explanation.

Stepping away from them, he quietly answered the phone and as he stood a respectable distance away, Carly looked at Jenny curiously for a moment before glancing at him again.

"Is everything okay?"

Jenny sighed.

"He's got a pretty extreme case right now. He and Tony are actually working together with their combined teams to solve it. We've got a serial rapist on our hands, but he always keeps his face covered, attacks from behind, uses a condom, and wears gloves. It's been a rough few weeks."

Carly frowned, her eyes searching the redhead's intensely.

"It's wearing you down. Both of you. You know, believe it or not, sometimes distancing yourself for a few hours, maybe even a full day...it makes a difference. You're able to focus, you're not as easy to anger, you can breathe a bit better. Just something to consider."

Jenny shook her head, running her hand through her hair.

"I wish we could, Little One. But this guy is fast. He's always two steps ahead of us and we're always just a fraction too late."

"Mom...if the teams break down, then no one will be able to stop him. You have to take care of yourself."

Jenny sighed again, kissing Carly's cheek just as Gibbs returned, and the dark look in his eyes told her that it hadn't been good news.

"Another victim," he said quietly.

Jenny nodded, her eyes meeting his slowly, and when she spoke, she couldn't believe the words that came out of her own mouth.

"Call your team. Kate, Harrington, and Garrett. Tell them to go home. Take tomorrow off. DiNozzo and his team will get the next day off."

Gibbs stared at her as though she'd lost her mind, shaking his head as he spoke.

"Jen, we've got to catch this guy."

She looked at him seriously, her eyes never leaving his.

"And we will. But if the teams aren't operating at their best, then something will get missed. Someone will slip up, possibly get hurt. I can't risk that. No one can."

When he finally realised that she wasn't going to change her mind, he nodded, walking away to make the necessary calls, and Carly hugged her again, smiling.

"You made the right decision, Mom."

"I hope so, Little One. I hope so."


Late that night, Jenny ventured down into the basement, frowning when she noticed that she didn't hear any of the usual sounds of carpentry coming from the room, and as her feet touched down on the concrete, she shivered. Gibbs was nowhere to be seen, though she knew he was around somewhere, and when she drew closer to the boat, she realised that he was underneath it. Not wanting to disturb his sleep, she backed away quietly, shaking her head in slight amusement. Leave it to Gibbs to sleep in the most uncomfortable of places.

"Jen?"

She froze at the sound of his voice, not even sure if she should turn around. She'd been certain he was sleeping, yet it appeared she was mistaken.

"I know you're still standing there," he said with a soft laugh.

She sighed, shaking her head as she made her way back to the boat, leaning down so that she could see the underside.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Unfortunately, no."

He held out his hand, smiling when she took it, and as he pulled her underneath the wooden structure, she felt suddenly nervous. What if it fell? She didn't exactly fancy the idea of being crushed to death by a wooden boat. He seemed to realise exactly what she was thinking and laughed, pulled her closer against his body as he kissed the top of her head.

"Relax, it's perfectly safe."

"If we get killed by this thing, I'm haunting your ass for all of eternity."

He laughed.

"Fair enough."

"So, if you're not working on the boat and you're not sleeping, what in the hell are you doing down here?" she asked, laying her head on his chest.

"Just thinking. Believe it or not, I do that quite often."

She was silent for a moment, running her fingers lightly over his chest, and she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of bourbon and sawdust.

"Did you reach any monumental conclusions in your thinking?"

He considered her question, combing his fingers through her long red hair, his voice soft in the silence as he answered.

"I realised that you were right. Catching whoever is attacking these women is crucial, but if we all keep working ourselves into the ground, there's no way that we'll ever do it. And more than that, if something happens to either of us, we'd miss out on seeing Carly grow up. I know she's in college already, but she's still so young and I don't want to miss any moment of it. I missed so much of Kelly's life and I don't want to make the same mistake with Carly."

Jenny smiled, opening her eyes slowly, raising up just enough that she could see his face, and kissed him gently.

"I knew you would eventually realise I was right."

"Someone seems pretty sure of themselves."

She laughed, settling back into her previous position.

"Only slightly more than a lot."


The day that their case came to an end was unremarkable in its beginning. Gibbs and Jenny arrived at the Navy Yard so early in the morning that the on-duty security guard could offer little more than a half-hearted wave and a yawn as they passed, and when Jenny took a long drink from her scalding coffee, she flinched. Gibbs had been at his desk for all of ten minutes when he received a call from the local authorities, alerting him to an attack that had just taken place, and as he glanced around the squad room, he frowned. DiNozzo's team had the day off, it was still too early for his own team to have arrived, and he shook his head as he reached for his phone.

"Shepard."

"Hey, Jen...got a question for you."

"Fire away."

"How much do you miss field work?"

She hesitated, considering the implications of his question, and shook her head as she began pulling her hair up in a ponytail.

"When do we leave?"

They met Kate Todd in the elevator as she was arriving for the day, the look of surprise on her face almost comical as she realised that Jenny would be joining them, and as they all piled into their car, it took all of the redhead's self control not to laugh. The morning was seasonably cool when they arrived on the scene, making Jenny zip her jacket more securely around her, and as Gibbs began questioning the local LEOs for the information they'd obtained, she looked at Kate, her expression serious.

"Talk to the victim. See what she remembers, take photos of her injuries, you know the drill."

"Yes, Director."

Jenny made her way slowly around the silent house, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the morning, and when she heard Kate whisper her name, she turned.

"She says she managed to cut him with a knife. She isn't sure how badly, but she said she definitely remembers seeing blood."

The redhead nodded, taking another step, holding out her hand.

"Flashlight?"

Kate handed one to her, blinking in the sudden brightness, and as she began searching the ground surrounding her, Jenny heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"Police have surrounded the area and they haven't seen anyone leave since the 9-1-1 call was made. Our chances are pretty good that he's still here," Gibbs whispered.

Jenny said nothing, her senses focused on finding something that would lead them to their attacker, and when she noticed a spattering of dark blood on the ground, she waved to get the attention of the two agents behind her. She merely pointed at the red droplets, not wanting to alert their attacker should he be nearby, and as she made her way closer to the back of the house, shivered. Someone (or something) was definitely here.

She was just lifting her foot to take another step when Gibbs suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her movements. She glanced at him and he nodded in the direction of the kitchen door, his meaning clear. Nodding at him, she crept quietly closer, her fingers closing around the cold metal of the door handle, and as soon as she wrenched it open, she was knocked backward as someone crashed through the door.

Gibbs caught her before she could hit the ground and as they all began running, Jenny could feel the cold air ripping through her lungs. As she ran, she could see Kate on her left, Gibbs on her right, and as they neared the sparse wooded area near the edge of the property, she blinked hard. She certainly wasn't cold anymore.

Gibbs' voice cut through the darkness as he yelled for their suspect to stop running and she knew even as they ran that it was useless. Her legs were burning as she ran, and when their suspect suddenly veered to the left, Jenny realised that they would have to hurry if they didn't want to lose him in the woods. She pushed her body faster, noticing that Gibbs had pulled his weapon from its holster and though it occurred to her to do the same, she quickly dismissed the thought. If she slowed for any reason, they would lose him.

The gunshot that rang out echoed loudly in her ears and when he stumbled, Jenny knew she had her chance. He fell to the ground and when Jenny reached him seconds later, she placed her foot on his back, stopping him from moving. She caught the handcuffs that Gibbs tossed her with ease, clicking them shut, and as Kate stopped next to her, Jenny took a shaking breath.

"Read him his rights, Agent Todd."

Kate nodded and as Gibbs kept his weapon trained on his body, Jenny slowly stepped back. Her lungs were on fire now and she had never been more thankful in her life that she didn't smoke. God only knew what would have happened if she had. Gibbs gave her a smile as she drew in a deep breath and she knew as long as she lived, nothing would ever make her feel more confident in her own abilities as the look in his eyes.


As it turned out, her good mood was short lived because as soon as they returned to the Navy Yard, Gibbs was called out on another case, leaving Nicholas Garrett and Kate Todd in charge of the interrogation and while this wasn't strictly a problem on its own, Jenny was left wondering just how long they would have to wait before they caught a break. She briefly considered calling DiNozzo and telling him that his team would have to cancel their day off, but she decided quickly against it, knowing that they needed the break just as badly as Team Gibbs did.

She did call him to inform him of their latest success however, and the relief she felt from being able to give him the good news was so strong that she could physically feel it. She knew, just from the tone of his voice, that he felt the same way, and as she hung up the phone five minutes later, she laid her head down on her desk.

"Excuse me, Director...I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to remind you that you have a budget meeting in about an hour."

Raising her head at Cynthia's quiet voice, it took everything Jenny possessed to keep her tone in check. After all, it wasn't her assistant's fault that they were all so exhausted.

"Thank you, Cynthia."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she offered softly.

Jenny shook her head.

"Not unless you can make criminals suddenly become law abiding citizens," the redhead answered dryly.

"If it makes you feel any better, Carly called while you were out. She said to tell you that she's getting released tomorrow afternoon and that she loves you."

Smiling, Jenny reached for her now-cold coffee, shuddering at the taste.

"It does, actually. And do you think you could bring me a cup of coffee that doesn't taste like death?"

Cynthia laughed, smiling as she nodded.

"Of course."

The door closed, leaving her in blissful silence for a moment, and Jenny closed her eyes, breathing in deeply as she lit the eucalyptus candle sitting on her desk. God, she needed a break. Just a little one.


Gibbs

By the time he had left the squad room late that evening, the former marine was so exhausted that he could hardly see straight and as he poured himself a much needed glass of bourbon as he sat down on his couch, he closed his eyes tightly. He could faintly hear the sound of the shower running upstairs and though he knew he had no reason to be, he found himself growing increasingly more annoyed the longer the sound continued. It was just this work load. That's all. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that it was soon to be Shannon's birthday.

Definitely not.

Though he knew that it was insane, Gibbs was somewhat saddened that they had solved their case as it had provided a welcome distraction. He'd been trying to forget the significance of the approaching Thursday and he frowned as he took a long drink from his bourbon, wondering why this year was proving to be exceptionally difficult. He supposed it could have had something to do with the fact that he was now in a stable relationship, including a different daughter, but somehow he doubted it. He no longer felt as though he was betraying his late family by being with Jenny and essentially adopting Carly (though it had taken much longer than he'd expected) and he was actually proud of himself for the progress he'd made. No matter how hard it had been.

"Jethro?"

He opened his eyes at her voice, quiet in the stillness, and when he saw her standing at the bottom of the stairs, he gave her a small smile.

"Hi."

"You weren't asleep, were you?"

He shook his head.

"Nope."

Jenny frowned, her wet hair giving her a strangely vulnerable appearance.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, but as soon as she took a step closer, he knew she didn't believe him. She was by his side on the couch before he had even truly registered that she'd moved and when she looked at him, he was surprised by the look in her eyes. Underneath the concern, he could see the hint of anger building in the bright viridian irises, and she shook her head.

"You're lying."

He knew she would interpret his silence as admission, but he had no idea of what to say to her.

"Tell me what's wrong. Please?"

He supposed it was the "please", spoken so gently, that made him nod and when he spoke, he was surprised at the hoarseness in his own voice.

"I'm fine."

Wait. That hadn't been what he'd wanted to say. What the hell had happened?

"Jethro..."

The anger in Jenny's eyes was unmistakable now, but he couldn't tell if the shaking in her voice was caused by irritation or sadness. He soon found that he didn't care because he was suddenly angry himself, more than a little annoyed at her refusal to just accept his words at face value, though logically he knew she was only doing so out of concern.

"What?" he finally snapped, his voice harsher than he'd intended, "You asked, I answered."

"Yes, and you lied to me. Jethro, I thought we were past keeping secrets. I can tell something is bothering you and I just want to help you. I just want you to actually trust me and talk to me for once! Is that really so difficult? I didn't think I was asking for too much!"

He stood up suddenly, the force of the alcohol he'd consumed making him react more irrationally, and he glared at her as he took a step back.

"Fine, Jen! You're right. Something is wrong and contrary to belief, it's not something that can be fixed. You're right! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Jenny shook her head, standing up from the couch, her wet hair sticking to her cheek as, and the colour was such a harsh reminded of Shannon that it hurt.

"No, Jethro," she answered quietly, the pain in her voice clear, "I'm so tired of being right. I was right about Shannon's death, I was right about Carly being sick, I was right about her relapsing...I don't want to be right anymore."

She turned away, making her way up the stairs without so much as a single glance back, and when he heard the sound of the bedroom door clicking shut, he shook his head. Damn it, why did he have to make such a mess of everything?


The room was dark when he opened the door nearly an hour later, not that he had expected any different, and he blinked in the change of light. Jenny was curled up on the bed, not moving once as he came closer, but somehow he knew she was still awake. As soon as he was close enough, he sat down on his side of the bed, taking a slow breath, and when he spoke, he kept his voice deliberately soft.

"Can we talk about this?"

Jenny said nothing, gave no indication that she was paying him even the slightest bit of attention, but he knew differently. He ran his hand through his hair, frowning at the shaking in his fingers, hoping the additional bourbon he'd had in the last hour had been enough to give him the strength to tell her the truth.

"This Thursday is Shannon's birthday," he said quietly, "I know that you and I are together now and have been for awhile, so I shouldn't think about it anymore, but—"

He stopped, unsure of where he was going with his sentence, and when he felt the familiar burning of tears in his eyes, he blinked, directing his gaze to his shaking hands.

"It's still hard. I can't help but think about who she would have become over the last eight years. How she would have changed, whether or not we would have even been compatible with each other anymore..."

Gibbs closed his eyes, hoping to stave off the tears, but as they fell onto his skin, he was suddenly hit with a flood of memories, assaulting him behind his dark eyelids. He felt a slight movement next to him and when a faint light suddenly clicked on, he opened them again, still staring down at his hands in his lap. Jenny's hand covered his own, her touch so light that he could have almost tricked himself into believing he'd imagined it, and he felt her take a breath.

"Jethro, I...I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice so gentle that he almost couldn't stand it, "I know how much you loved her, how much it hurt to lose her...I can't imagine the pain you're feeling, but you have to listen to me."

She looked at him seriously and when he met her gaze, he could see tears shining in her eyes.

"I would never want you to feel like you shouldn't acknowledge her birthday just because we're together. She was your wife, the mother of your child, she helped you become the man you are today...it's okay to feel the pain of her birthday, your anniversary, Kelly's birthday, the anniversary of their death. It's only natural to miss her, to wonder what could have been, but the thing you have to remember is that you can't drown in those memories. Shannon and Kelly wouldn't want that for you and neither do I."

Jenny reached out to run her thumb under his eyes, brushing away the stray tears that had fallen, and when her hand lingered on his skin, he looked at her again, she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for telling me the truth."

He nodded.

"I miss them both so much, Jen," he whispered.

The words slipped out before he could stop them and Jenny ran her hand through his hair, her body moving closer to his.

"I know, Jethro," she said gently.

She moved slowly, her lips meeting his in a soft kiss, and when she pulled back, she held his gaze, her eyes impossibly green.

"You can talk about them if you want. Any time. I'll always listen."

He smiled faintly, touched by her offer, and she returned it carefully.

"Maybe some other time. I don't think I have it in me right now," he told her honestly, "I don't particularly want to have a breakdown tonight."

Jenny nodded, taking his hand in her own, laying her head on his shoulder, forgetting completely that her hair was still damp from her shower.

"Do you have any idea of how much I love you, Jethro?" she asked softly.

Gibbs smiled, reaching out to tilt her head back, kissing her slowly.

"Considering how much of an ass I've been the past few weeks and especially tonight, I'd say I have a pretty good idea," he laughed, "but I'd be lying if I said I was tired of hearing it."

Jenny raised her head from his shoulder, kissing him with just enough fire behind it that it left him slightly breathless and smiled, her voice warm.

"I love you more than my own life."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."


A/N: Poor Gibbs...

Music used as inspiration for this album:

By The Way, I Forgive You (album) by Brandi Carlile