Chapter 1:

Jenny Shepard gasped as she felt the contraction hit again. She was seriously rethinking her decision to go without pain killers while in labor. She pressed the button for her nurse and gritted her teeth as she breathed and tried to think of something else besides the pain.

"Yes Ms. Shepard?" a young nurse asked, coming in.

"Could I get a pain killer?" Jenny asked as the contraction ended and she was able to relax.

"The anesthesiologist is busy at the moment; I'll put your name on his list though."

"Do you know how long it'll be until he'll be in here?" Jenny asked.

"He's got a few patients he's got to see first. It should take him anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes," the nurse replied coolly.

Jenny nodded and took in a deep breath as she felt the contractions build again. She tried to remember to breathe, but the pain was intense - more intense than any injury she had ever received. Finding a spot on the ceiling, she focused on it and prayed for the doctor to show up soon.

It took nearly an hour before the anesthesiologist was able to get to Jenny's room.

"When can I get the pain killers?" she asked, then suddenly gripped the railings as another contraction hit. It felt like it took forever for the pain to fade, she could feel another one building again and she looked at the nurse.

"When can I get pain killers?" Jenny asked breathlessly. The nurse checked the monitor, then shook her head.

"If the contractions are back to back, then it's too late for pain killers, the only way for the pain to stop would be to give birth," the nurse sympathized. Jenny could feel tears falling as the contraction hit again.

"I WANT PAIN KILLERS!" Jenny screamed as another wave of pain gripped her in its clutches.

"It's too late!" the nurse said, waving the anesthesiologist out of the room.

"I WANT SOME DAMN PAIN KILLERS!" The only way for Jenny to ignore the pain was to scream through it. "DAMN YOU!" She started cursing the father of her child; it was his fault she was in this predicament.

"Quit the racket!" An older nurse ordered as she barged in. She grabbed the chart and flipped through it and then gave Jenny a look. "You opted for no drugs Ms. Shepard, suck it up."

"I CAN'T! IT WANTS TO COME OUT!" Jenny cried.

"That's the point darling," the older nurse responded. She dropped the chart back where it belonged and went to the other side of the bed.

"Oh I hate him! I'm going to kill him when I get a hold of him."

"That's just the pain talking…" the nurse tried to soothe Jenny while checking the progression. Pulling the sheet back, she patted Jenny's leg. "I think you can start pushing now."

"No, it's the desire to kill him," Jenny retorted, crying. "I HATE YOU!" Her words turned into a guttural scream as she bore down and pushed.

"Keep pushing!" the second nurse coached.

"I can't!" Jenny said.

"The head's out...hold off pushing during the next contraction."

"You just told me to push! Make up your mind!" Jenny shot back.

"Push now!"

Jenny bore down and pushed as hard as she could. Pain wracked her nervous system and sweat drenched her body, but she pushed as though her life depended on it.

"Okay we've got the shoulders," the nurse cheered on.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Jenny asked.

"Can't tell; we're only to the shoulders."

"Well does it look like a boy or a girl?"

"It looks like shoulders; keep pushing until I tell you to stop."

"I'm dying; my insides are being ripped out!" Jenny leaned back to catch her breath. No amount of training had prepared her for this moment.

"Exactly. It's almost over; one more push and then the baby should be out."

One push later and the nurse proclaimed: "It's a girl!" They cut the cord and started cleaning her off.

"Why don't I hear my baby crying?" Jenny asked.

"She's acclimating, give her a minute," the older nurse comforted. Just then, as if on cue, the girl started to cry.

Finally, after the baby had been cleaned off, tested, weighed, and looked over by the doctor, she was handed to her waiting mother.

"Oh hello, gorgeous," Jenny's voice was a whisper as she gazed upon her baby.

"Have you decided on a name?" the nurse asked.

"I've got a few that I like," Jenny replied dreamily. "I've still got to find the name that fits her."

"Well, the paperwork doesn't need to be filled out until the baby is discharged, so you've got at least a day."

"No pressure," Jenny said sarcastically.

The baby looked up at her and grunted, as if trying to say "pay attention to me!"

"Oh and you've got your father's eyes," Jenny whispered to the baby. Jenny looked into her daughter's eyes, as she remembered a conversation she and her baby's father had had when they'd been together.

"If I had another daughter I'd name her Caitlyn. What?" he'd asked when she'd smiled.

"I think it's pretty and it goes well with her sister's name."

Caitlyn? Should she use the full name? Or should she change it around and use another variation of the name?

Grabbing a pen and paper from the bag she'd brought to the hospital, she started scribbling on the paper, she wrote down every single variation of the name Caitlyn she could think of and a few she made up. One by one she narrowed down the list to three. Catherine, Cathleen and Cathlynn… Trying each name out she spoke it aloud and then looked to her daughter to see if her little girl looked like the name. Finally she had one.

"Cathlynn Guinevere Jackson." She whispered, holding her daughter close.

She sighed and looked at the birth certificate forms; she wanted to giver her daughter her last name. But she wasn't sure that she and Caitie's father had gotten out of Paris with their covers intact. So she hesitated to use either of their last names. If she couldn't give her daughter the last name of Shepard or Gibbs, she'd give her daughter the name of the man who had raised Jethro to be the man she'd fallen in love with.

Holding her daughter close she looked at Caitie, who was looking up at her with her father's ice blue eyes. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you're a father," she whispered.