Inspiration time! This is thanks, unknowingly, to my best friend.

I'm dedicating this to her, and her battle with depression. I'm so proud of her, and I'm waiting patiently for her to come home.

This is slightly AU, and you'll understand as you read. Hope you guys enjoy and tell me what you think in your reviews!

NCIS Director Jennifer Shepard could not remember a time that she had been more bored. Sitting in a four hour long meeting in MTAC with SecNav hadn't been the way she'd been planning on spending her morning, to say the least. She'd been in her study until well after midnight, reading case files, and hadn't climbed into bed until two, and her alarm had gone off at five thirty like every morning.

She stepped out of MTAC, files in hand, and clicked across the catwalk, glancing briefly at the bullpen below. She smiled when she noticed her favorite team below, doing anything but working.

Tony was reclining in his chair, grinning widely at Ziva, who sat at her own desk, shaking her head at whatever he had said. Tim was typing something on his computer, bent over his keyboard, ignoring the other members of his team. And Jethro was silently watching his team, no doubt enjoying the bantering and bickering, even if his face said another story. A teenaged girl sat in a chair near Jethro, which both surprised and confused her. She'd find out eventually, so she decided to forget about it for now. She shook her head before heading into her office, nodding at Cynthia before opening the door to her office. She walked over to her desk, putting the files on her desk and sitting down.

She'd just put her head on her desk when her door slammed against the wall. She groaned before lifting her head to glare at the man standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry Director, I tried…" Cynthia stood in the doorway, nervously biting her lip.

"It's alright Cynthia, I understand. Special Agent Gibbs doesn't understand the word 'No'." Jenny said, her green eyes flashing as her gaze moved from her assistant to Jethro. Cynthia nodded before closing the door behind her.

"Now, is there a specific reason you decided to slam my door open, Special Agent Gibbs?"

"Well, Director, you have someone that is looking for you. She's been in the bullpen for over an hour." Jethro said, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her.

"Jethro, you easily could have just sent her in. There was no need to abuse my door." Jenny said, sitting up and straightening her suit jacket.

"Well, it's a little complicated Jen. It's too hard to explain. Fiona, come on in." Jethro said, ignoring the look Jenny sent him when he used her nickname.

Jenny's office door opened, and the teenaged girl from the bullpen walked in hesitantly. She swept her long chestnut off of her shoulder, straightening her blue sweater over her crisp, white oxford button down. She wiped a hand on her jeans before stepping forward.

"Thank you, Special Agent Gibbs. You and your team kept me well entertained." The teenager smiled at Jethro, who, to Jenny's amazement, smiled back.

"It was my pleasure. Although Tony seemed to like you quite a lot."

"Well, Tony is too preoccupied trying to get Ziva to notice him." Fiona smiled before turning back to Jenny. She bit her lip, apparently nervous, although Jenny couldn't understand why. She took a deep breath before starting to speak. "My name is Fiona Evelyn Shepard. I was born April 16, 1994. My mother's name is Jessica Catherine Shepard. Two weeks ago, she passed away, putting me in the care of my only surviving relative, who just so happens to be my godmother and only aunt. So, hi, Aunt Jenny. I'm your niece slash goddaughter."

Jenny stared at the girl, shocked, for a few moments. The unbelievable words floated around in her brain. Jess had been alive? She'd had a daughter? She'd passed away? What the hell had her twin done?

-NCISNCISNCISNCIS-

Jethro stood by the door, dumbfounded. When Fiona had walked into the bullpen, looking for Jenny, he'd assumed that she was the daughter of a friend or an aspect to another case. But her niece? He hadn't even known she had a sister let alone been an aunt. He studied Jenny, noting the way her green eyes flared with a sort of recognition as she scanned the girl.

Jenny took in the girl, with her glossy, chestnut colored hair that fell to mid-back, her intelligent green eyes. She was petite, and carried herself in a graceful way. She had their father's nose, Jess's mouth, and she had the Shepard fair skin, her nose sprinkled with freckles. She looked put-together, with her button down and sweater with her jeans and blue satin flats, and she was pretty, with Jess present in her features. Jenny knew this girl was telling the truth, and that's what made it so hard to believe. She sighed, rubbing her face.

She looked up and met Fiona's worried gaze, softening a little. The girl had just lost her mother and was just now meeting her only aunt.

"Well, there is obviously a lot that needs to be explained. Are there papers I need to sign, Fiona?"

Fiona nodded, and extracted a small packet of papers from her Vera Bradley tote and handed them to Jenny silently. Jenny slid on her reading glasses and looked over the papers, signing where needed. She handed the documents back to Fiona, and her smile was returned hesitantly. She stood up and walked over to the girl, touching her arm lightly. Jenny looked up, finally meeting Jethro's burning gaze.

"You will never leave me alone until you know everything Jethro, so stop by tonight. Bring Chinese. You like Chinese, right Fiona?" Jenny said, turning back to the teen. Fiona nodded, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Jenny noticed the circles under the girl's eyes and the way she kept blinking. "I'll see you tonight Jethro."

"Bye Jen, Fiona." he said as he walked out, closing the door softly.

Jenny guided Fiona to the couch in her office and sat her down.

"You look exhausted Fiona."

"Flying from London will do that to a person." Fiona said, smiling.

"Really, London? Jess always wanted to go to England." Jenny said quietly, smiling at the memory of her sister.

"Yeah, Mom loved it." Fiona said, her eyes becoming a little bit brighter as she talked about her mom.

"If you're really tired, you can feel free take a nap here. I'll most likely be reading case reports, answering emails or phone calls. Hopefully I'm not called into another meeting. I just had to spend four hours talking to my boss, and I'd really rather not go through that again. So, just let me know if you need anything." Jenny said.

"Thanks Aunt Jenny. It is okay that I call you that, right? Or do you not want me to?" Fiona looked suddenly worried.

"Aunt Jenny is fine Fiona." Jenny said, laughing a little. She brushed a strand of stray hair off of Fiona's face, tucking it gently behind her ear. The girl sighed as she leaned her head against Jenny's hand, sighing as her eyes closed. Jenny's throat closed up and she struggled to breath around the knot in her chest. She pressed a gentle kiss to the teen's forehead before wrapping her into a hug.

Fiona burrowed into the warm hug, which reminded her of her mom's. With her mom gone, she hadn't been hugged like this in over two weeks, and she missed it. Aunt Jenny was identical to Mom, with the fiery curls and the sharp green eyes.

Jenny hugged the girl, attempting to control the tears that were threatening to overflow. She never would have imagined she'd be holding a teenaged girl in her arms. Fiona was truly her mother's daughter, Jenny could see that. After a few long moments, she pulled away, and saw the sleep in her niece's eyes.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here."

Fiona nodded drowsily before lowering her head onto a pillow. Jenny watched her for a few more moments, smiling as she stroked her dark hair. She stood slowly, being careful not to disrupt Fiona. She walked to her desk, sitting in the chair. Her thoughts raced, and questions filled her head. She just couldn't believe that Jess had been alive all these years.

She hadn't seen her twin sister in over sixteen years. Right after graduating from college she's broken off all contact with Jenny and their father. All attempts to find her had been in vain, and eventually they'd both given up. Obviously, Jess had not wanted to be found.

To think that she had had a niece all this time. Jenny had always wanted a niece or nephew to spoil rotten, seeing as how her job was not exactly child-friendly, and there was really no chance of her having children. She wished Jess had trusted her with the knowledge of Fiona; Jenny would have loved to have watched Fiona grow up, to be there for all her milestones.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. Jenny looked up in surprise to meet Jethro's gaze. He was standing next to her, looking down at her. She blushed slightly, secretly enjoying the heat his hand generated.

"Are you here for a reason Jethro or are you just trying to look down my shirt?"

"I saw down your shirt earlier. I'm here to see if you're okay."

Jenny flushed at his words. God, she could not believe he still did that to her.

"Jethro, I'm fine. Just slightly shocked to discover that my sister had indeed been alive all these years, and didn't fall off the face of the earth like I had assumed when she stopped contacting me sixteen years ago. Hopefully, Fiona will be able to explain everything tonight. Is six too early for you?"

"Six should be fine, if my boss is okay with it." Jethro replied, a smirk on his face.

"Well, bring Chinese and bourbon and she should let you off of the hook." Jenny said, a coy smile on her lips.

"Easy enough." Jethro said. He glanced at Fiona's sleeping form. "She seems like a good kid. The team likes her. They don't know that she's your niece, Jen. I thought I'd let you tell them, if you wanted."

Jenny met Jethro's gaze gratefully. She had so much on her mind at the moment, she hadn't even thought about the team. She wanted to get to know her niece herself before properly introducing her to the team. Jethro was another matter entirely, however. He already knew so much about her, and he already knew enough to bug her until her knew everything, so she was just going to let him in now. Her sister's voice rang through her head, telling her otherwise. You just want him there Jenny. You want his support, his presence. You want him Jenny. You still love him, don't even try and deny it. I know you Jenny, as much as you hate to admit it. Jenny, it's about time you faced the music, and you know it.

Jenny shook her head slightly, dispersing the voice before rubbing her face. Jethro was still staring at her, his blue eyes studying her silently.

"I'm fine Jethro. Really."

"I don't agree Jenny. But alright, have it your way. I'll see you tonight."

He left without another word, once again treating her door like a door. Jenny shook her head, smiling. He knew how to read her too well. She was glad he was being so helpful in all of this; she was a mess right now and his Gibbs-ness was quite honestly keeping her sane.

She stood, fixing the wrinkles in her slacks before striding over to the door. She stuck her head out of the door, looking for Cynthia.

"Do you think you can send for lunch, Cynthia? Two salads and two Sprites?"

"Of course, Director."

"Thanks Cynthia."

Jenny closed the door again and turned towards her desk. She sat down and started to compose a new email to the Director of the FBI, apologizing, once again, for the behavior of a certain agent during a recent case. She had just sent it when Fiona began to stir, sitting up slowly and running a hand across her face sleepily. She met her aunt's gaze and smiled brightly.

"Feel better?"

"Much. I needed a nap. Do you have a bathroom in here, Aunt Jenny?"

"Right through that door."

"Thanks."

Fiona grabbed her bag before walking into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She set her bag down and couldn't help smiling. She'd been so nervous, coming to meet her aunt for the first time, and to tell her that she was her new legal guardian.

Her aunt was amazing. She was pretty, and cool, and she seemed funny. She was a lot like Mom, Fiona couldn't help noticing. It made her slightly sad, to think about her mom. She couldn't believe it had been a full two weeks.

She shook the thoughts out of her head. She walked towards the mirror, and pulled a brush out of her bag, running it through her long locks, smoothing the sleep-rumpled strands. When she was satisfied, she dug around in her bag, triumphantly pulling out a stick of concealer minutes later. She covered the dark circles under her eyes, and when she was pleased with her appearance, she stuck the make-up back in her bag.

She walked back into her aunt's office, surprised to see it empty. She sat on the couch and decided to organize her bag. She dumped the contents out beside her, sorting through the items. She put the magazines from the airport, the uneaten chocolate bar, her make-up kit, her brush, glasses case, and her Ipod back in the bag neatly, before opening her journal.

She'd always been a writer, and today had been full of things to write about. She finished her entry and placed the notebook back in her bag before taking the charm bracelet near her thigh and putting it on, admiring the charms.

There were the ballet slippers, because she was a dancer, music notes because she played piano and flute, her birthstone, a diamond, and a locket that contained a picture of her and her mom. The bracelet had been a gift from her mom when she'd turned fifteen. It had been her favorite gift; she'd been eyeing it for months. She smiled, remembering the look on her mom's face as she'd watched her daughter open the present.

Finally, Fiona opened her current book, leaning back against the pillows. She'd started Wuthering Heights about a month ago, when her mom had told her she should start it. She actually loved it; it may be dark, and not all that happy, but it was the undercurrent of love that got to her.

She was still reading when the door opened, and Aunt Jenny and Agent Gibbs walked in, lunch bags in hand. Her aunt was laughing at something Gibbs had said, and he was smirking. Fiona rolled her eyes at the two of them. They acted like teenagers, the two of them. Her aunt most definitely had a crush on him; but Fiona knew it was more than that. Her aunt had much deeper feelings than a silly crush on Gibbs, but Fiona couldn't figure it out. Oh well, she'd figure it out soon enough. She put her book back in her bag before turning to the two, who were setting lunch up on the table near the couch.

"I got salad and Sprite Fiona, I hope you like it. I wasn't sure what you like to eat."

"Salad and Sprite is fine Aunt Jenny. Hi, Special Agent Gibbs, nice to see you again."

"You can just call me Gibbs, Fiona. I'm sure you'll hear lots about me; I tend to get on your aunt's nerves a little." Gibbs said, smirking in her aunt's direction.

"A little? Jethro, pissing off the FBI every other day is not generally classified as 'a little'." Aunt Jenny said, turning to meet Gibbs' gaze. He glared lightly before responding.

"Oh, I just like to piss Tobias off, you know that. And you're good at clearing things up. You always were."

As soon as he had said it, Fiona watched both adults' faces go softer, their eyes meeting and never leaving each others. After a few moments, Aunt Jenny shook her head, sending her red curls flying. She turned to Fiona, her green eyes still soft with remembrance.

"Hungry?"

Fiona nodded, and grabbed a plastic container of Caesar salad and a bottle of soda. Her aunt and Gibbs followed suit, and everyone was eating quietly when Gibbs' cell went off. He effortlessly put the phone to his ear, waiting for the caller to speak.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"I've got something, Gibbs!"

Fiona heard a happy woman's voice through the phone, and Gibbs shut the phone, standing up.

"I'll see you two later. Abby has something on the case."

"Bye Gibbs!" Fiona said, waving at him.

Aunt Jenny shook her head at her, the corners of her mouth pulling up slightly. Fiona simply smiled at her before taking a bite of her salad. They continued eating silently until her aunt broke the silence.

"Tell me about yourself."

Fiona looked up, a little startled, but smiled.

"Well, I'll be sixteen in a few months, my favorite color is light blue, English is my favorite subject, I've been dancing ballet since I was five, I play the flute and the piano, my best friend's name is Elizabeth and I've known her since we were seven. I prefer vanilla ice cream to chocolate, white chocolate is delicious, I like to watch crime dramas on television, I have a crush on Richard Gere, and my authors are Sarah Dessen, J.K. Rowling, or Laurie Halse Anderson. My favorite movies are Nights in Rodanthe and Shall We Dance?. I love to read and I journal religiously. I talk a lot, do pretty well in school, and I can't sing to save my life. I want to learn how to play the guitar so that I can play 'Here Without You' at my mom's gravestone next year. Um I think I covered all the bases." Fiona said, meeting her aunt's gaze, surprised by the emotion of it. "Aunt Jenny?"

"That's, well I think that that's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. I'll be more than willing to help you Fiona. And I'm glad you told me everything; I can't wait to get to know you even better." Aunt Jenny smiled at her before standing and walking over to her desk, grabbing a briefcase and putting a few files inside. "I'm taking the rest of the day off; my house isn't exactly set up for another person living in it. Are you ready to go?"

Fiona nodded and grabbed her bag, putting in on her shoulder. She followed her aunt out of the office and smiled at her assistant. They walked into the elevator, Aunt Jenny looking at the team in the bullpen below and smiling to herself. Once they were in the lift, her aunt turned to her.

"Do you have other stuff with you? Suitcases, boxes?"

"They're kind of already at your house." Fiona said sheepishly. Her aunt raised an eyebrow, remaining silent. Fiona pulled a gold key out of her pocket, showing it to her aunt. "Mom still had it. I didn't know if it would still work, but to my great surprise it did."

Aunt Jenny simply smiled and shook her head.

"I haven't gotten around to changing the locks, as you can tell."

"Yeah, I got that." Fiona replied laughing.

"Well, let's go get you some furniture; I'm sure you'd like to sleep in a bed tonight and not on a couch." Aunt Jenny said, stepping off of the lift and into the parking lot.

"But Aunt Jenny, how will we set it up?" Fiona asked, confused.

"That's what Gibbs is for." her aunt said, a wicked smile on her face.

They reached the car and got in, Aunt Jenny quickly speeding off of the lot. Fiona smiled to herself and shook her head. She was most definitely going to enjoy living with her aunt, she was sure.

So? What do you think? Let me know, I love checking my email and seeing all of your reviews!!