Well hello again! It's been awhile, I know, and for that I apologize. I just found this on my computer so I thought I would polish it up and post it. I have in no way forgotten about the sequel to my other story History's Door. I am in the process of finishing it up as we speak and it should be up shortly.
I don't own NCIS or its characters. I really don't own much of anything except a cat. He's cute, but I don't think he is worth much. Anyway without further fan fair here is my new story.
It was nearing 10 PM, the NCIS head quarters were almost completely empty, save for a few security guards here and there. The teams with overseas operations still wouldn't be in for a few more hours which left only one special agent on the mostly dark 4th floor of the building.
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat at his desk, his desk lamp illuminating the dark bullpen of the MCRT. Gibbs rolled his neck, scrubbed a callused hand over his face, and continued staring at the report file lying open on his desk. Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face again before pushing back from his desk and leaning back in the chair.
He should have been writing a report for the case he and the team had just closed but he was having a hard time concentrating. This had been his first official case after returning from Mexico for good. He just couldn't stop thinking about how different things were. He was in no way naïve enough to think everything would be completely normal when he returned after 7 months, but everyone was acting so strangely.
Ziva, Tony, and McGee had been walking on eggshells around him all week. The confusing part was that when people treated him that way it was because they were usually nervous, but they were angry with him. He could tell they were trying not to yell at him. Ducky had reverted to calling him Gibbs and had been rather cold and curt with him. And Abby…. Well that was the most confounding problem for Gibbs.
Abby had just given a summary of all the evidence she had processed and the team had quietly filed out of the lab and hurried off to do their jobs, but Gibbs hung back. Abby had already turned back to her computer to continue working. Gibbs leaned against the table and waited for her to say her bit.
Gibbs soon tired of waiting, "Abby…"
Abby ignored him and continued to tap away on her computer.
"Abby!"
Abby slammed her keyboard and whirled around and replied tersely, "What?"
"What's with the attitude, Abs?"
Abby took a menacing step towards him, "The attitude? You left!"
"Yeah, Abs, we've established that."
"I can't believe you! You not only left me, the team and Ducky- your family- you left her. You left her when she really needed you, Gibbs! But you decided you would rather stay in stupid Mexico and drink beer with Mike Franks!"
Gibbs tried to cut in, "Abby, that's not….."
"I don't want to hear your excuses. I need to be mad at you for awhile."
"Abby I don't understand what you're talking about!" Gibbs said frustrated, he really had no idea.
Abby huffed in frustration before storming into her office and locking the sliding glass door behind her, "I'm not going to talk to you anymore until you apologize to Jenny and work things out with her."
Gibbs stood, grabbed his coat and keys and headed for the elevator. He was going to clear things up with Jenny; he needed to know what was going on.
Gibbs pulled up in front of Jenny's large Georgetown home. There were a few lights on in the house letting him know she was still up. It was only 10:30PM so there was no reason for her to be sleeping, she was a night owl just like him and it was a Friday. When Jenny opened the door Gibbs could barely suppress a smile. Although she looked exhausted and a little frail, she was still beautiful. Her long red hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, she was wearing an old worn out NCIS t-shirt along with a pair of sweat pants that looked like a pair he owned but had long been missing.
Jenny looked completely shocked by Gibbs' appearance on her doorstep, "Jethro, what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk." Gibbs said shortly while walking into her foyer.
Jenny sighed as she closed the door. She knew he was going to come over and demand they sort through everything that happened in the last 7 months, she just didn't think it would be so soon.
"Do you want to do this here?" Gibbs asked, gesturing to the foyer.
Jenny just nodded. She didn't want him anywhere else in her house until they got things situated and smoothed out.
"I have two things that need to be sorted out. I'll start with the first one and don't interrupt," Gibbs paused but continued when Jenny nodded, "I love you, Jen. I just want to go back to the way we were before I left. I know it might be almost impossible but I want to try. These last seven months have been horrible and I want to forget them."
"Jethro," Jenny began softly, "I need to know this is sincere. I need to know this is how you feel and not how you think you should feel. I need to know that this isn't something you think you're obligated to say or do."
Gibbs stepped closer to Jenny and grabbed her hand, "Jen, I remembered everything before I even got on the plane for Mexico. I just needed to get away. Shannon and Kelly's deaths were too fresh in my mind."
Jenny knew she should be more skeptical but she couldn't be. She missed him terribly and she needed him back in her life, he was her rock. Jenny cupped Jethro's face lovingly in her hands.
"I love you, Jenny." Gibbs stated again.
"I love you too, Jethro." Jenny murmured before sealing her lips to his.
When they pulled apart Jenny ran her thumb across his upper lip before looking seriously at him, "You need to shave that horrid caterpillar off your lip."
Gibbs chuckled, "Anything for you."
Gibbs was about to kiss Jenny again but they broke apart when they heard a noise from upstairs. Jenny sighed and rested her head on Gibbs' chest before patting his cheek softly, "Please don't think any less of me, but if you change your mind I won't hold it against you."
Gibbs stood frozen in shock. He knew that noise anywhere and it sent flashes of 20 years ago through his mind. He shook himself out of his revere when Jenny was standing in front of him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Gibbs asked softly as he stared at the pink bundle cradled securely in Jenny's arms.
"You had just relived Shannon and Kelly's deaths. You didn't know who I was. You couldn't remember either of our relationships. I couldn't just spring this on you," Jenny said as she stepped closer to him, "Do you want to hold her?"
Gibbs nodded and took his daughter gently from her mother's arms, "She's beautiful, Jen. What's her name?"
"Adeline Grace Gibbs. Addie for short."
"She's perfect. You're perfect," Gibbs said looking into Jenny's eyes.
"Thank you, Jethro." Jenny whispered as she placed a chaste kiss on his lips.
"I should be thanking you, Jen," He paused briefly," I know it's been a while since I've held a baby, but isn't she a little small?"
Gibbs saw Jenny freeze and he immediately started to worry. But before Jenny could say a word Addie let out a small cry. Gibbs carefully transferred Addie back into Jenny's arms and followed her into the kitchen. While Jenny was mixing a bottle for Addie, Gibbs wandered into the study to grab a tumbler of bourbon. He was over the moon about having Jenny back in his life and about having little Addie in his life but he just needed something to sooth his nerves.
Gibbs walked back into the kitchen and leaned against the counter watching Addie greedily nurse on a bottle, "How old is she?"
Jenny looked up when she heard him, "About a month and half."
Gibbs looked shocked at that. He couldn't remember her showing any signs of being pregnant and she would have been at least four months gone when he left, "How far along were you when I left?"
"Barely two months." Jenny whispered
"Two months, Jen? You should still be pregnant."
Jenny nodded grimly before caressing her daughter's cheek, "My due date was actually this week. Addie was born a month and a half early. She just came home two weeks ago."
"Are you both healthy?"
"Addie is."
"And you?"
Jenny ignored Gibbs' inquiring gaze and walked into the family room. She laid Addie down tenderly in the pack and play that was set up and covered her with a blanket before turning back to Gibbs who was now seated on the coach waiting for her to explain.
Jenny sighed and took a seat next to Gibbs on the couch.
"Why aren't you breastfeeding her?" Gibbs asked curiously
Jenny looked at her hands, a look of shame crossing her face, "I can't."
"You can't? Jen, what's going on?"
"Jethro, if I tell you you're just going to feel guilty."
"Jen, I need to know. I'm worried about you and Addie."
"I found out I was pregnant the same week of the explosion. I couldn't bring myself to tell you because I had barely come to terms with the news myself. Two weeks after you left I got sick, really sick. I collapsed in my office. It turns out I had a rather nasty case of pneumonia."
Gibbs quickly interrupted Jenny, "What does the pneumonia have to do with any of this?"
"Jethro, you have to be patient. I had already been suffering from some morning sickness before I got sick, but all the coughing I was doing made the nausea a thousand times worse. Some days it was hard to keep anything down at all. It took two different kinds of antibiotics to clear up my lungs, but by that point the damage had been done. I hardly weighed over a hundred pounds on a good day. I spent two more weeks in the hospital before my doctor was feeling ok with me leaving. I came down with pneumonia again right before I entered my 7 month. I went into labor twice while I was in the hospital, but they were able to stop it. I made it to seven and a half months before they couldn't stop Addie from coming."
"Did you have a C-section?" Gibbs questioned, worry soaking his words.
Jenny shook her head, "I was too far gone by the time I was stable enough for surgery. I really don't remember much of the delivery; I was pumped up with too many meds. I remembered being told the baby was a girl before I passed out."
"How is your health now?"
"My doctor has me on steroid like meds to help me gain weight which is why I can't breastfeed Addie. Other than having a rather specific diet I'm almost completely healthy."
Gibbs pulled Jenny into his lap and kissed her forehead lovingly, "I'm glad you and Addie are ok. But I have one more question, why is the team mad at me?"
Jenny played with the buttons on the front of his shirt, "They aren't mad at you per say, they just needed to place the blame on someone. I know that even if you had been here I still would have been sick and I tried to convince them of it, but they didn't want to hear it no matter how irrational they were being. But even if they are mad at you, you should be proud of them, Jethro. They all really stepped up. They all spent a lot of time with me at the hospital. They also took turns staying home with me"
Gibbs looked proud and surprised, "Even DiNozzo?"
Jenny smiled, "Even DiNozzo."
The couple sat together just enjoying being in each other's company after so long apart. Gibbs was about to say something when he realized Jenny was sound asleep in his arms. Gibbs maneuvered Jenny off of his lap. He rummaged through a few cabinets and closets upstairs before he returned to the living room and piled a few comforters, blankets and pillows on the floor next to Addie's pack and play. He picked Jenny up off the couch, laid her down on the make shift bed and laid down next to her pulling her close to him. In her sleep Jenny snuggled into his side and Gibbs smiled to himself. He was usually an insomniac to the extreme, but he fell asleep rather quickly with Jenny in his arms and his daughter close by.
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave me a review; I really appreciate them. I might be adding to this, but for now I'm going to leave it as it is.