Jack and Gibbs had spent most of the morning locked in Jack's office. They were arguing about the possibility of Jack assisting Gibbs' team in taking down a suspect that afternoon. As they argued, they kept moving closer together until they were standing toe to toe in the middle of the room.

Eventually, Jack realized they weren't making any progress. Through clenched teeth, she snarled, "You need another agent and, in case you've forgotten, I'm a fully trained field agent, not just a pretty face you can turn to when you need psych mumbo jumbo. I'm going." Unwilling to continue the argument, Jack stepped to one side and stormed past Gibbs toward the door.

Gibbs turned to follow her. They had almost reached the door when he caught her by the elbow and spun her around to face him. "I'm just worried. This guy is dangerous."

In an instant, all of Jack's frustration faded away. Her angry glare melted into a soft smile and her voice was much gentler as she told him, "I know he is. I'll be careful."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Four hours later, the suspect was in custody and Gibbs was sitting in a hospital waiting room while Jack got a CT scan. He was hunched over with his elbows propped on his knees and his head in his hands. His fight with Jack kept replaying in his mind. It was a cruel reminder that he'd failed to keep her safe.

Gibbs was so caught up in his self-recrimination that he didn't notice when Agent Greer sat down next to him until she held a cup of coffee under his face. The coffee was a distraction that Gibbs readily accepted. "Thanks," he muttered before taking a long drink.

"Figured you could use it. How's Sloane doing?"

"Doc confirmed a broken wrist and they're checking her for a brain injury."

"How's Faith handling it?"

"Okay, I guess. A neighbor's with her."

"You should be with her, Gibbs. You're the only one who can give Faith the reassurance she needs right now."

"I can't leave Jack alone."

"She won't be. I'll wait here."

"You should be at the office. There's still work to do."

Greer waved off Gibbs' concern. "Carthew and Normand can handle the interrogation without me. I can stay here, so you can go to Faith." To prove she had no intention of leaving the waiting room, let alone the hospital, Greer leaned back in her chair, kicked her legs out in front of her, and crossed her ankles. "Jack would want you to be with Faith. You know I'm right, Gibbs."

"Yeah. I know," Gibbs begrudgingly admitted as he finally pushed himself to his feet. "Keep me updated."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

After Gibbs parked in Jack's driveway, he sat in his truck staring at her house for several minutes. It looked the same as it always did, but he knew that, when he went inside, this visit would be different than any he had made previously. He wouldn't receive an affectionate kiss from Jack or an enthusiastic hug from Faith. All that waited for him was a scared little girl who needed him to tell her that everything wrong in her world would soon be made right again. It was a situation he had faced often in his line of work, but this time it was personal and he wasn't sure he could remain objective. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.

Bracing himself, Gibbs slowly got out of his truck and made his way to the front door. He let himself into the house and went straight to the living room where Faith and Mrs. Evenson were watching Rugrats.

Mrs. Evenson was the first to see him. She acknowledged him with a terse nod, then stood up and switched off the television. "I'll give you two some space."

Once Mrs. Evenson had left the room, Gibbs took her spot on the couch next to Faith. He was surprised when Faith crawled into his lap and curled into a tight ball, wrapping her arms around her knees and leaning against his chest. Holding her tightly, he kissed the top of her head. "Hey, Little Doc. How're you doing?"

"Not good," Faith replied, her voice quivering. "Mrs. Evenson said a bad guy hurt Mom. Why didn't she come home? Is she okay?"

"Your mom's going to be fine. She broke her wrist and hit her head. She's at the hospital letting the doctors put a cast on her arm and take some pictures of her brain."

"When can she come home?"

"Don't know yet. They might want her to stay overnight."

"Can I see her?"

"I'll take you as soon as Agent Greer says it's okay."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

It turned out that Jack had a mild concussion and the doctors wanted to keep her overnight for observation. After Greer called Gibbs to deliver the news and confirm Jack was ready for visitors, Jack sent her away. She wanted some time alone to process the day's events before seeing Gibbs and Faith. However, that didn't stop her from anxiously glancing toward the door every few minutes looking for them.

When Gibbs and Faith arrived, Jack smiled at them and reached for Faith with her good arm. "Come here, baby girl," she beckoned.

Without hesitation, Faith dashed across the small room and clambered up the side of the bed. Gibbs reacted swiftly and managed to catch Faith before she could land on Jack. "Careful," he cautioned Faith. He sat her down next to Jack and watched her gently hug her mother, then leaned over her to kiss Jack's forehead. Shifting his lips to her ear, he whispered, "You didn't have to get beat up to prove you're more than a pretty face. I already knew."

"I should have listened to your gut, huh?"

"Nah," Gibbs disagreed, shaking his head. He straightened up so that he was no longer bent over and awkwardly crowding Jack and Faith. "You were right. You're a fully trained field agent."

"Well, I don't think I'll be in the field for a while. The concussion means I have to take it easy for a couple of weeks, which shouldn't be a problem since I'll be in this cast for six to eight weeks."

Gibbs chuckled. "You taking it easy? Who's going to enforce that?"

"Hey!" Jack scoffed in mock offense. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. But, um, I was hoping you could keep Faith tonight and give me a ride home tomorrow."

"Done."

"But, Mama," whined Faith. She snuggled closer to Jack's side. "I want to stay with you."

Jack nuzzled Faith's hair. "You can stay until bedtime, but then you need to go home with Gibbs. You can come back in the morning when he picks me up."

"I don't have to go to school?"

"Nope."

"And you'll come home tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Okay. I'll stay with Gibbs."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

In the morning, Gibbs and Faith returned to the hospital with a bag of clothes they'd packed for Jack. As they wandered through the halls, Gibbs held tight to Faith's hand to keep the nearly catatonic child walking in a straight line and prevent her from running into walls. At the door of Jack's room, he let go of Faith's hand. He expected her to perk up and rush to Jack's side, but she continued to drag her feet and only made a weak attempt to climb onto the bed.

Despite Jack's best efforts to help Faith, she couldn't get the leverage she needed with only one arm. Giving up, she looked to Gibbs for help. He wrapped an arm around Faith's waist and lifted her onto the bed. "She didn't sleep well," he explained as Faith slid out of his grasp and flopped down next to Jack, reclaiming the space she had occupied the prior evening.

"Neither did I," admitted Jack. "We'll have to take a nap when we get home."

"Brought you some clothes. We can go whenever you're ready."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

When they got to Jack's house, Gibbs helped Jack and Faith get settled in Jack's bed, then retreated to the living room. At lunchtime, he went to wake them up and wasn't surprised to find they hadn't moved. Jack was still lying on her back in the middle of the bed with her injured arm resting on a pillow and her uninjured arm draped loosely around Faith, who was asleep on top of her.

As he prepared to wake Jack, Gibbs noticed that, even in her sleep, Faith clung to her mother and kept her ear pressed firmly to Jack's chest directly above her heart. It made Gibbs smile to think that the sound of Jack's heartbeat soothed Faith the same way it must have when she was an infant and that, even though she didn't fit quite as well on Jack's chest as she once had, Faith still sought out the familiar sense of comfort when she was upset.

Gibbs' thoughts were interrupted when Jack started to stir. "Hey," he said quietly to let her know he was there so she wouldn't be startled by him hovering over her.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Jack looked up at him with a weary smile. "Hey."

Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed, taking care not to jostle Jack's battered body. "How're you feelin'?"

"Like I was hit by a truck."

"Do you want me to move her?" Gibbs asked, gesturing at Faith.

"No," Jack responded indignantly. She unwittingly tightened her hold on Faith. As Jack cuddled her daughter, a wave of nostalgia washed over her and, with a dreamy look in her eyes, she recalled, "We used to lay like this all the time, but she rarely wants to anymore."

"Special circumstances," noted Gibbs. He lightly tapped Jack's cast for emphasis.

"Just a few bumps and bruises. Nothing that won't heal."

"Coulda been worse."

"That's just the job. Could be either of us at any time. If your goal is happily ever after, I think you got into the wrong business. Or maybe you should just date a librarian, so you won't have this problem again."

"No," Gibbs declared emphatically. "Not datin' a librarian."

The inference that Jack drew from Gibbs' response filled her with an overwhelming sense of well-being. She managed to hold back a self-satisfied smirk, but couldn't suppress the little hum of pleasure that escaped her lips. "Guess you're stuck with me, so let's talk about more important things. Like lunch."

"Take it the hospital food wasn't up to your standards?"

"Ack," Jack pretended to gag. "That wasn't food! I'm so hungry. I'd kill for a burger and fries from Beltway Burgers."

"How about a sandwich and chips from your kitchen?"

"Please," implored Jack, her lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout.

Gibbs shook his head. "The doctor said you shouldn't be left alone."

"No. She said someone should stay with me for a few days to monitor my concussion. She didn't say you had to be with me every second. I'll be fine for an hour."

"Not worth the risk."

"You're infuriating!"

"I can call Mrs. Evenson to come stay with you," Gibbs suggested. "Best I can do. Take it or leave it."

Jack gritted her teeth. "She has water aerobics today."

"Right. I'll set it up for dinner."

"Fine. Can I still have a sandwich?"

"Not gonna starve ya, Jack. Even if I am infuriating."