A/N: I am so sorry for the super long wait for this, but I couldn't come up with anywhere to actually go with it until I watched a video on youtube, that I will post at the END of this story, I really hope you ALL go and watch it. Please do not hate me for the way this chapter turns out and what ever else happens…please read and review!
Keep Moving Forward: Chapter 1
It had been almost two years since Gracie Alexa Shepard entered Jenny's life and since then things just continued to get better and better for her. The team threw her the baby shower they were planning, where Gibbs, after having had Jenny hint to him to propose again, properly this time, decided to do just that. She had pretended to think about it before laughing and kissing him passionately, which got a round of applause and some wolf whistles from the occupants of the party.
They had talked about when their wedding should take place and both had come to the conclusion that they needed to find out who left Gracie on Jenny's doorstep before they could even think about planning a wedding.
A little over three weeks after the proposal did Gibbs and his team get a lead. It turned out that Jenny's old neighbor, the one that had taken her to the hospital when she was having her baby, had been the one to give up the child.
Jenny had talked to him for a few hours and found out exactly why he had given up his only daughter. It turns out that his wife had passed away during child birth and every time he looked at the bundle all he could think about was him refusing to wear a condom when his late wife had asked, her not wanting to get pregnant at the moment. He blamed himself for his wife's death.
He knew that he wouldn't ever be able to get over the feeling of guilt ad anger every time he saw his child and didn't want her to be raised in a household where she wouldn't be loved like she should.
He had thought about giving her up for adoption, but had remembered Jenny and remembered what happened to her child and how heartbroken she was when the doctors couldn't save her, and he knew that she would make an excellent mother who would love his daughter unconditionally.
When he was asked about why he had left her there in a storm he just broke down and said he had no clue, he just had to get away from her before he did something terrible to her, and he didn't want to hurt the only child his wife had had.
Jenny and Gibbs asked him to finalize the adoption and all of the papers they needed just incase anybody came and found out that Gracie wasn't hers and they never actually legally adopted her.
Jenny and Jethro became the parents of one Gracie Alexa Shepard-Gibbs and three months later they became husband and wife.
Jenny cut back on her hours, as did Gibbs, making sure to always be home no later than six, unless Gibbs was in the middle of a case, which happened often, but he made sure to make sure he went home every night.
Gracie was almost two and a half years old and she was keeping her parents busy and insanely happy.
Gibbs had been able to get off work early today and went to meet up with Jenny when he was informed by Cynthia she went home earlier that morning as well, something about needing to get something for Grace.
Deciding to surprise her he went home without calling to letting her know. They had decided her house was more suited for Grace and them to live, although they still had Jethro's house…which one Abby Schuito was living in after begging Gibbs to let her stay there.
Gibbs pulled up to the house and saw Jenny's car was missing, thinking she must have gotten distracted while shopping for Gracie Gibbs walked in and started to make dinner.
He was halfway through pouring the pasta into the strainer when the phone rang. Quickly dumping the remains of the pasta into the strainer and wiping his hands off he made his way to the phone before the machine answered.
"Gibbs?" He answered and he almost froze by what he heard on the other end. It was a voice and order he had not heard in many, many years.
It was that of his old squad leader desert storm before he was switched by a new commanding officer.
"Gunny, I need you to do one more thing for us and I'm not exactly sure how you're going to take it…"
?
"Jethro, I'm home! Jethro?" Jenny called as she balanced Grace and four bags filled with goodies for her, plus one filled with stuff for herself and Jethro…if only she could find Jethro...
"Jethro? Honey, you home?" Jenny called again putting down her keys and bags, keeping her hold on her daughter.
"Dada!" Gracie said mimicking her mother.
She had just turned the corner and found him sitting on the couch dressed in his old marine uniform. She went stock still and stared wide eyed at him while Gracie excitedly yelled for her daddy.
Jethro was broken form his revere at the sound of his baby girl calling him. He turned his head and was met with a terrified looking Jenny and an excited Grace clapping her hands while reaching for him at the same time.
"Jen?" Gibbs said rushing over to her and taking Grace from her before she dropped her before grabbing the side of her face gently forcing her to come out of her shock.
"Jen, Jen, look at me!" Gibbs said placing Gracie on the floor so he could get Jenny out of her frozen state.
Doing the only thing he could think of he leaned in and kissed her. For a moment he didn't feel anything, but when he felt her respond to him he pulled back knowing it had worked.
"Jen, you okay?" Gibbs asked not realizing why she was freaking out.
"Why…why are you…uniform…?" Jenny asked having trouble form the words she didn't want to ask but needed to. She was so terrified that he was going to be leaving her that it was making it almost impossible to talk.
Gibbs connected the dots and just pulled her into a fierce hug not letting her go as he explained.
"My commanding officer called a few hours ago, he told me that the two men closet to Saddam Hussein that we captured escaped last year just before their sentence was carried out…" He felt her stiffen and cling to him even tighter. "…its okay, they got 'em back, but they need to go through a new trial…"
"But, then why are you…" Jenny interrupted not understanding why her husband was dressed in his uniform like he was heading out to go fight another war.
"I was on the platoon that captured them the first time around, both me and my partner need to go to Iraq and testify against them…"
"But…" Jenny started, but didn't know what to say other than, "When?" dreading the answer.
Gibbs hugged her tighter before answering. "I had to see you before I left, but I have to leave by seven…"
"That's only thirty minutes from now!" Jenny yelped not letting her grip loose for one second.
"I know, I know, believe me Jen, I…"
"How long?" Gibbs closed his eyes as he felt Jenny hug him as if her life depended on it.
"Six to eight weeks." He felt more than he heard her choke back a sob. "I'm so sorry Jen, I wish I didn't have to go, but I'll be back before our anniversary, and I'll…" Gibbs rushed not wanting to see her cry before he had to leave; he wanted their last few moments to be happy ones.
"Just…just promise me you'll come back to us…" Jenny said as she released her grip somewhat, wanting to spend their last half hour happy together.
"I promise Jen." Gibbs said pulling back and kissing her again trying to put everything they were feeling at the moment into that kiss.
"Daddy!" Grace said tugging on his pant leg wanting to get in on some of the attention.
Gibbs bent down and swept her up before kissing her all over the place despite the squirming giggling child's pleas for help.
Their half hour went by quickly despite Jenny and Jethro's desires for time to for once drag on.
Jenny drove him to the plane station and walked him right up to the plane's boarding dock, having flashed her ID to the people who tried to stop her.
Gibbs turned once more to his wife and daughter before he boarded the plane and dropped his bags before engulfing them in a hug telling them how much he loved them and he couldn't wait till he returned so he could kiss them and hug them all day if he wanted. He would have stayed longer in their embrace had the boarding attendee told him the plane was taking off and he needed to hurry before it left without him.
He squeezed them one more time kissed them both and told them he would see them as soon as he could, and with that he left. Jenny stood there for a moment hugging her daughter looking at where Jethro just disappeared willing him to comeback even though she knew he couldn't.
"Were' daddy goin mommy?" Grace said not knowing where her daddy was going and why they weren't at home in bed while he read her, her bedtime story, it didn't make sense.
"Daddy's going to be gone for a little bit, but don't worry, he'll be back…" Jenny said hugging her tighter to her and turning to walk back to her car. 'You hear that Jethro? You better come home to us!" Jenny said to herself, trying not to think about the fact that if these two men had escaped once before, who's to say they couldn't do it again…
?
It had been five weeks since Jethro left for Iraq. Jenny had heard from him every now and then, but being in Iraq, it's a bit hard to always have time and the resources for the same person to contact the same person frequently.
It had been extremely hard not waking up next to Jethro every morning, and not seeing him at work when she would make the short trip from her office to MTAC, or where ever she may have been going.
Ducky had pulled her aside two days after Gibbs had left wanting her to know that if she needed any help at home that he was there for her and Grace, he also made sure she knew that no matter what happened, even if for gods sake something did happen with the prisoners, that Gibbs was a fighter, and he would fight hell and all of it's occupants to be able to see her and his daughter again.
That had helped somewhat, but she still missed him like crazy. Gracie didn't understand why she never saw her father anymore, and every night she would wake up crying calling out for him, it broke Jenny's heart because she wanted to do the same thing.
She wound up setting up Gibbs side of the bed for Gracie making them both feel like Jethro was closer to them.
The six week had come and gone, and when she still hadn't heard from Gibbs she started to get worried, but didn't act just yet, believing they might have been close to a breakthrough, but when the seventh drew on slowly and still no word she called Ducky to hopefully have him relieve some of her fears, he has just finished telling her that he probably broke the computer while trying to get it to work when the doorbell rang.
Jenny, hoping with everything that it was Jethro and he had just wanted to surprise her ran down stairs to answer the door.
She had a huge smile on her face believing it had to be him. She swung the door opened completely before looking at who it was, but as soon as she saw the uniform, the clipboard, and his face expression, her face went deathly pale and she tripped backwards covering her mouth as she started to sob, knowing exactly what this man was going to say.
Her husband was dead.
A/N: So…? Please don't hate me, I sort of warned you…kind of…please review and let me know what you think, also please don't not read the next chapter because of this one, I'm trying something, just let me know what you think and I'll got from there…Thank you! Please Review!
~Quibilah