Hello friends! Been back with something that came to my a few days ago, and what I already posted on my wattpad account in german. I couldn't´t help myself but posting it here too. I know this chapter is short and I promise that the next chapter will have more words in it. Anyway, hope you like it.

Friday, March 20th 2020 – 11:50p.m

Late in the evening, Director Jennifer Shepard packed her bag, turned off the computer and emptied the last cup of coffee. She threw the empty cup into the trashcan and switched off the small desk lamp. A hot bath and a glass of wine were just the right things to end this terribly and exhausting day. She hardly had time to finish one file! She ran from one appointment to another. She didn't even have time to eat something and that's why her stomach had been growling for hours.

Just as the redhead stood in front of her coat rack, wanted to slip into her red trench coat and finally leave the building, there was a knock on her door. Jen looked at the clock in astonishment. Who needed something this late?, she asked herself and hung the coat back on the hook. A soft sigh escaped her throat before she decided to open the door. But if she had only known what kind of problems she had just been dragged into she would never have opened the door.

With two cups of coffee, Gibbs walked up to Jen's office. In the past months this has become a special ritual of both. Yesterday it was Jenny who got the coffee and today it was the grey-haired one's turn again. Whoever started it, neither of them really knew anymore, but that didn't really matter — what's important was the fact that over the last few months the two had become much closer again than when they first met after six years. They often went out for on a date, spent their lunch break together, and she valued his opinion. It felt good!

Cynthia wasn't there, probably having the day off, so he passed the anteroom and opened the door to Jennifer's office. Darkness came towards him and it immediately came into his mind that she had spent the night here again. Sighing, he placed both cups on the conference table. When did he give up trying to make her realize that this was counterproductive for her health? He can't remember. Shaking his head, he turned around, closed the office door and wanted to go to the back to the big desk — pull up the blinds to let some daylight into the room, but his plan didn't work out, because, just as he tried to get around the desk he discovered the beautiful redhead lying on the floor, covered in blood.

"Damn it.", he muttered and hurried to her as well.

Carefully he took her head between his hands. She was pale, paler than the wall and her cheeks were cold like ice. Desperately he tried to feel a pulse and only when he got a hit he pulled out his phone. He had to get an ambulance here, now!

"Hey, Jen.", he said softly, trying to get her awake, but it was harder than he thought. The redhead had a very weak pulse and a large pool of blood had formed underneath her. "Please, Jen, look at me.", he begged her. He gently patted her cheek, shook her shoulder but nothing happened.

His heart pounded violently against his chest. So many questions were buzzing in his head and none of them would be answered until Jenny woke up. She had to lie here for a long time, undetected in a dark office. He can't tell what had happened to her, how deep the injury was and how much blood already lost. He had the feeling that half her blood had been sucked into the carpet.

A knock at the door took him out of his thoughts. "Director, sorry to disturb you but I -", said the older man and stopped when he found the grey-haired chief investigator kneeling on the floor. "Good God.", he muttered.

Nervously he walked up and down in front of the shock room. He felt guilty for not staying with her and for driving her home. It never should have come to this!

"Calm down, you can't change what happened."

"But I should have been there, Ducky. I wanted to drive her home at nine o'clock, she declined my offer and sent me home. I should have just waited for her.", he said forcefully and pulled his hair up.

"Where has the security been? You shouldn't have let that person in the first place!", he screamed and attracted the attention of half the emergency room.

"Jethro." Ducky looked sternly at his oldest friend. The doctors are doing everything they can to save her life right now.", he tried to calm him down.

It looked bad. She had lost a lot of blood, too much and had not regained consciousness. Although Ducky was able to do quite a bit to treat the wound at her waist, he simply lacked the necessary equipment to perform a professional operation. He had given everything and now it was up to the doctors of Washington General to save the redhead.

"Go outside, take a breath, and come back in when you calm down." It wasn't what he wanted to hear, but Ducky was right, he thought. "Or you can pull yourself together, now, because there are other people lying here who need their rest as much as Jennifer does and you're screaming doesn't make it any better.", he said sharply.

"I -", Jethro started talking and stopped as soon as he heard the sliding doors to the shock room open.

A team of doctors and nurses left the small room. One of the three doctors approached both men, stopped in front of them. Gibbs tried in vain to concentrate on the doctor, but his eyes caught sight of his beloved redhead in the same second. He couldn't see much.

"How is she?"

"Better.", he replied succinctly. "She is very weak and still a little foggy from all the blood loss, but her injury is less serious than it looked.

Jethro breathed out in relief. She was out of danger!

"The object she was attacked with, did not damage any organs, we are talking about a miracle. We were able to clean and stitch the wound and then bandaged it. Two centimeters lower and her kidney could have ruptured. She's on a pain infusion and a unit of blood. The laceration on the forehead could be treated and is the lesser of two evils."

Jethro nodded, unable to say anything.

"We'll keep her here overnight and tomorrow morning, as long as there's no secondary bleeding, she can leave. ", he added afterwards.

"I want to see her." Gibbs said something more measured and took a look at Ducky.

"Of course, she should already be in her room but don't stay too long, she's still weak." Dr. Jordan reminded him, at least that's what the name tag said. It took a load off the mind of the lead investigator.

He could not describe his current emotional state, because every word that left his mouth would not be well-thought-out considering this exceptional situation, and he did not want to say anything wrong.

"Can I give you this?"

Her personal belongings and clothes which were put into a plastic bag. For Gibbs, the ideal evidence, and he fervently hoped that these were useful leads that would lead him to the guy who have almost killed the woman he loved more than his own life. But since he didn't want to leave here, he would just hand the stuff to Ducky and politely ask him to give it to Abby.

"Should I take these?", asked the pathologist and that is why he appreciated him so much. He thought along with him, he didn't have to ask him for a long time because Ducky was always prepared and could present him great tracks with the smallest things.

Gratefully he looked at the smaller man and handed him the bag.

"I'll leave you alone now, but you call me when you've been with her and I'll inform the others.", he said calmly and clasped the bag tightly.

"Thanks, Duck." Jethro nodded one last time before he went to Jen's room with the doctor.

Quietley Ducky watched them both. The experienced man knew that this was only the beginning of a great fall. It was an internal case, one of them was hurt, badly hurt and Jethro wouldn't waste a minute looking for the culprit and once he had him... God have mercy on him, he just thought and made his way to the car.

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