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"One more time for me please?" The physiotherapist / torturer urged her on and Jenny gave a final and considerably painful lurch forward and then slumped back on the pillows. "Ok that's great."

The therapist clicked his tongue as he noted down her progress on his clip board and then reached over to adjust the height of her bed, so she was sitting up further. He'd had her reclining and then sitting all the way up to try and exercise her muscles. It was working but, damn did it burn! Jenny was both proud and annoyed at her success, since twenty sit ups were more than she had been able to do yesterday, yet considerably less than what she could do a month ago, before she was shot. She groaned in frustration, she felt useless; she hadn't even been able to get to the bathroom without help in the beginning. She grimaced as she remembered the catheter coming out soon after her physio had started. Jethro had had to help her to the toilet, and then he'd had to retrieve her once she was done. Not exactly what you wanted your, well… ex-lover turned boyfriend… to do for you. It was sweet, it was just… he must have been as disgusted with her as she was. The sooner my stomach is back at full strength, the better.

"Your stomach muscle seems to be coping well with the strain of bending. You will need to do these exercises twice daily to strengthen it without over taxing it, so bed rest for most of the day, I'm afraid." He smiled at her patronizingly and she shot him a glare.

I'll take half strength, she thought mutinously, just so she could walk out of this damn hospital. Mike had been fortunate enough to have been released a week earlier, since his arm and fingers were the only things wrong and he had agreed to come back in for physio. He had been a bit of an ass about it too, by waving his bad arm in big exaggerated circles as he walked out the door towards freedom. He had been staying with Jethro so he came in with him when he came to see her. They were both due in anytime now in fact, so Jenny decided to get through the shoulder exercises twice as fast, so she could have Jethro help her get a shower. She desperately needed one. The exertion from sitting up had caused a thin layer of sweat to spring up on her forehead and her hair was beginning to stick to it.

"Ok and now raise your arm out in front of you… and hold for five seconds." She did so easily, her arm was one thing she had been able to exercise regularly, and while it still wasn't up to par, it could lift and hold a glass of water for a few minutes. The therapist had her continue with a few more movements before calling it quits. "You have made excellent progress, so I think you should soon be self sufficient again. Well done and try not to overdo the workouts." He smiled at her again and this time she smiled back, feeling pretty good. The next words she wanted to hear from a medical professional were 'clean bill of health'. He told her when he wanted to see her next and then left.

She sighed in relief to be alone for a few moments; she flexed her arms and then her legs and gazed at the bathroom joined to her room. She needed the toilet and a shower, so it probably won't be too bad if she walked over there herself. Jethro had told her to wait for him because he wanted to make sure she was alright. 'What if you fall and can't get back up?' he'd said. I'll crawl over to the door and wait for one of my security detail to answer it, since you still seem to think I need protecting. Her half-sarcastic reply had riled him up a little, but seriously, the lack of threats on her life surely showed that the danger had passed. She made up her mind and hefted herself off of the bed, holding it tightly to get her balance and let her stomach adjust to the extra strain. So far so good. She grinned, elated as she made her way steadily to the end of her bed. The wounds had healed so she wasn't in danger of bursting any stitches, just spraining a muscle. Just as she let go of the bed and took her first few steps forwards, a hand shot out and wrapped around her waist, while his scent wrapped around her mind.

"It's rude to sneak up on people Jethro." she huffed. He chuckled and pulled her tightly to him.

"How badly do you need it?" his question startled her, why would he want to know that? Was there somewhere he really needed to be?

"I'm not overly desperate, why?" he turned her to face him and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Because I'm taking you home. I heard your therapist say you were doing very well, and now that you aren't in any immediate danger, your doctor should allow you to come home with me." She smiled widely and twined her arms around his neck.

"Finally!" he smirked and then gave the closest look to adoration she had ever seen from him.

"How does a hot bath sound?" He pecked a kiss on her lips again and her smile turned coy. "Once I've sprung you and gotten you settled in at yours, I'll run you one."

"Will you join me?" Jenny was deeply touched by the small gesture and decided she wanted to share it with him.

"Where else do you think I'll be while you're uncovered?" they rubbed noses and Mike harrumphed behind them.

"Ok seriously, if you had wanted a private, mushy conversation you should have warned me. Or left me in the car."

"Hello, Mike." Jenny was used to Mike's odd way of announcing his presence, since she hadn't been able to kiss or cuddle with Jethro while Franks was in the room, without some inappropriate comment drifting out from behind the privacy curtain.

"Director." He gave her a respectful nod and then glanced around the room. "Therapist gone walkabout?" His appointment was due and he was eager to get it over and done with. "I'm getting this damn cast off today." He smirked and held up his plaster encased hand, the tips of his fingers just visible between the discoloured fluff.

"Have you been smoking with that hand?" Jenny enquired, shocked that he had managed to hold a cigarette, and often enough to make his fluff yellow-y orange.

"It's an art girl; I wouldn't expect you to understand. Gunny, I'm off to find that wayward physio guy." He gave another nod and marched out of the room. Jenny laughed and pulled Jethro in for a kiss, revelling in the simple contact that had been unthinkable not too long ago. This was something that she would never take for granted, not after everything they had been through together, and especially not after what had happened for them to reach this point. She stroked her fingers down the side of his face and then ran them over his lips.

"Take me home Jethro."

--

Jethro walked over the threshold of Jenny's townhouse, carrying her bridal style and trying to stop himself from laughing as she complained that Mike was staring at her ass and Mike refuted her words, while pretending to be studying her butt for panty lines. The two had been digging at each other ever since Mike had had his cast off and Jenny had told him his hand smelled of Nicotine and feet. He retaliated by telling her she smelled of sweat and frustration and they still hadn't quit teasing each other. Noemi held the door open as they passed and closed it hurriedly after them.

"Señor Gibbs, the luncheon is no ready." She stopped behind him apprehensively and then smiled at Jenny when he turned around. "Señora, it is good to see you."

"Thank you Noemi, it's good to see you too, and don't worry about lunch, I'll be bathing for a while." The relief was evident on the young woman's face and she smiled and then returned to the kitchen. Mike watched her go and then turned to Gibbs and Jenny.

"So, is there room in that tub for three?" Jenny reached over and batted his head playfully.

"No way old man. I'm having him all to myself for once." Jethro rolled his eyes at their banter and carried her upstairs to her bedroom.

"Remember, you can't do anything too taxing!" Mike called up the stairs after them, his voice dripping with innuendo. He chuckled to himself and then walked over to the phone, deciding to start the round robin of health updates and invites to dinner. He picked up the phone and dialled Jenny's office.

"Hello its Mike Franks… Ah Cynthia! I thought I recognised that beautiful voice… Jenny is home now and she's inviting you to dinner… 1800 hours… just bring your pretty self and pass on the invite to Gibbs' team, Thanks." Suave Mike, very suave, he thought to himself, chuckling at her humouring tone. With nothing better to do, Mike decided to see if Noemi needed a hand with dinner preparations. It may not look like it, but he was actually quite a decent cook. He diverted himself to the sink to wash his hand again (it really did smell awful) and then enquired where Noemi needed his expertise.

--

Jethro placed Jenny on her bed gently and dropped her bag on the floor by the bed. She sighed in pleasure as she lay back on her super soft bed and closed her eyes. Gibbs grinned and ghosted a kiss on her forehead, then turned to her bathroom and ran the water. When it began to get hot he put the plug in and picked up some bubble bath and bath oil. Abby had gone shopping for relaxation stuff and had brought back a lot of rather superfluous bath candles and scents, what was it, aromatherapy. He was pretty sure that if he mentioned the word therapy in her own home, Jenny would castrate him. He poured in a good amount of the bubble bath and watched the bubbles froth up, knowing she would like it like that. Shrugging his shoulders he dropped in some of the bath oil too. He then placed the candles around the bathroom strategically and poured some of that scented oil into one of those oil burners. If it worked Jenny would be happy, and that was the important thing. He nodded, satisfied with his handiwork and turned off the taps. He lit all of the candles and was pleasantly surprised to find the scent was quite nice. He walked back into the bedroom and watched Jenny pull off her clothes and sit on the edge of the bed in her underwear, waiting for him to help her.

"See something you like?" She asked, only a small quiver in her voice giving away the fact his answer was important to her. This was the first time he had seen her in her underwear in nine years, and though time had touched her, it had hardly left its mark. He moved towards her and helped her to stand and then stood back as she allowed him to gaze at her body, the two scars prominent against the rest of her skin. He smiled at her tenderly, she had never been particularly self conscious about her body, but the scars were enough to give her self esteem a serious blow. He looked over her perfect, soft skin and then knelt before her to press his lips to the scar on her stomach, mirroring the action she had done for him, back in Paris, when his old scars had caused a momentary uncertainty for him. She was beautiful, he knew it, she knew it, and he was going to reassure her about it.

"You. I like all of you. Every inch of your skin; your hair, your scars, everything. You couldn't be any more beautiful, any more perfect. I love your body and I love you." He stood and kissed away her tears, pulling her to him in a warm, cosy hug. "Besides, my scars are more impressive."

She laughed with him and then pulled him in for a kiss, composing herself and giving him a nice reward for being so charming. He held her hands and led her in to the bathroom, turning off the light as he reached it, so the glow of the candle light spilled out through the door. She gasped softly at the sight and squeezed his hand in gratitude. He smiled and shut the door behind them sealing them in, and allowing them to lose themselves in the relaxing atmosphere. He helped her to shed her underwear and then held her waist as she lowered herself into the tub of hot bubbly water. He gathered some bath gel and a sponge and placed them on the floor so they were in easy reach and then stripped off, allowing Jenny to watch him, fair's fair.

He got in behind her and drew her to him, his front pressing against her back. Her head fell back on his shoulder and they just floated and soaked for a long while, letting the soothing oil and aroma chase away the stress and strain of the day, the warmth surrounding them and the comfort of each other lulling them to sleep.

--

Ziva walked purposefully towards the door of her friend and boss with Tony, McGee, Abby, Cynthia and Ducky by her side. They had decided to all come at once so Jenny didn't have to answer the door six times, since they all knew she would try to, despite her current frailty. Ziva shivered, she would never have associated the word 'frail' with Jenny, not before this escapade. Gibbs had been incredibly over protective, like a bear defending its wounded mate. Which he was really, it was sweet yet worrying, in a 'your life is in mortal peril while you are in their presence' kind of way. She was too capable of defending herself to ever feel too threatened though, but it kept her on her toes regardless.

Tony noticed her shiver and moved closer to her, his hand resting on her back, but not too close to her butt because he wanted to keep his fingers. She felt her heart rate climb a little and she pressed back, so his fingers dug in a little more in her skin. He gave her a pleasantly surprised look and then grinned a little to her, his hand wrapping slightly further around her waist to gently pull her into his side. Her heart fluttered a little and she reminded herself they weren't alone. She removed his hand and squeezed it gently, before letting it go, so he would understand she wasn't brushing him off. He inclined his head faintly and then put a little distance between them as they reached the door.

Ducky reached the door first and pushed the door bell, standing back from the door slightly as it was opened. Jethro peered around the door, his eyes scanning every face in the crowd and then opened it wide, once he ascertained there was no threat. Ducky laughed a little and admonished his behaviour.

"Really Jethro, you need to calm down. Not everyone is suddenly going to be coming after her." Gibbs took the jab good naturedly and allowed them to enter.

"Hi Duck. Come on in and hang up your coats on the stand. Jenny, Mike and Noemi are in the living room, just through there." He pointed towards the kitchen at their blank looks, only Ziva seemed to know where to go. He assumed she had done some exploring while she had waited for the door replacing.

"Gibbs!" Abby flung herself at him in her customary 'Attack Gibbs on sight' approach. She had been allowed more of her Caf-Pow now that her two week rationing for stealing his coffee was over. Everyone had bought her one to pacify her and consequently she had spent most of the day in the toilet, according to DiNozzo. "Where's the bathroom?" she whispered urgently. He gestured up the stairs and she shot off, opening every door until she found it. He chuckled and then followed everyone else into the living room.

*

Dinner had been a wonderful distraction, the family interaction causing a cosy atmosphere to permeate the house, and the laughter helped to chase away the demons of all present. Jenny had made her own way to the kitchen to fetch something Noemi had forgotten to put out, not letting her get it herself since she had been working all day and deserved the respite. Ziva and Tony knew that they had the perfect chance and followed her in, the sounds from the others drowning out anything they would say. Jenny turned as she reached the island in the middle of the kitchen and she watched the two curiously, waiting for them to say something. Ziva took a deep breath and then launched into what she wanted to say.

"Jenny, I want you to know that I'm glad you are alive, very glad, but…" Tony continued for her.

"We want to know why you sent us away." Jenny sighed a little and rubbed her forehead slightly. Of all the things she had expected to deal with, their guilt wasn't one. She felt awful about her behaviour, but she knew she would do the same thing if she could. It was for the best, the less people under threat, the better.

"It wasn't a reflection on your ability, you both know you are the best, otherwise Jethro would never have assigned you to me. I wanted you to be safe, and I didn't want you getting caught up in my problem. You remember how well that went last time." She directed her last statement to Tony, who nodded, remembering how close he had come to being blown up, and how he had lost Jeanne afterwards.

"We could have helped you! If you had trusted us, we could have saved you from being hurt." Ziva enthused, her tone hurt and upset.

"Yes you could have, and I knew that, but the risk was too great. I didn't know how many men Svetlana would send for me, it was too dangerous. Just one would only give her cause to send two or three, I could handle that."

"Yes we noticed how well you handled them." Tony groused, pointing at her shoulder.

"Ok, I deserved that, but I made a decision that I thought was to the benefit of everyone involved. My sacrifice would not have been missed nearly as much as one of yours would have."

"You think we don't care for you?" Ziva was incredulous, the woman before her obviously hit her head harder than they had thought when she fell. "How could you think that?"

"You think that one screw up mission could make us hate you? Have you met Gibbs? If it were possible to hate someone over so little, he would have murdered us all over various coffee related incidents." Tony grinned, trying to relive the tension in the room.

Jenny beamed happily and then carefully moved away from the island, walking steadily towards the two Agents. When she got closer, she opened her arms and engulfed them both in a hug. Ziva gripped her tightly, while Tony patted her back awkwardly and tried to keep her from falling over, not sure how much pressure her body could take.

"I never doubted you; I just wanted to protect you." Jenny whispered, holding them tighter. "Forgive me?"

"Always." Ziva's muffled reply came from over her shoulder, followed shortly by Tony's identical one from her other shoulder.

"Toda Ziva. Thank you Tony." She pulled back from the hug and then picked up the fruit basket Noemi had forgotten. "Now, shall we rejoin the feast?" they nodded and took one of her arms each, Tony taking the basket, and walking back into the dining room towards their family.

The End.

A.N.: Well, there you have it. I decided to end this story here, since there was no real reason to prolong it. It's been fun writing this story and the response from you guys made every long hour resulting in cramped fingers worth it! So thank you all for your support and encouragement! Most of all, thank you for your reviews! Special thanks to MatteaAM for all of your help with this story! Thanks to Pandora of Ithilien who has reviewed every chapter! Thanks to everyone who has alerted or favourite this story! Thank you!