Jethro’s Dysfunctional Family

By the time that Ziva and I had hobbled back to the squad room a few minutes later we both noticed that Jethro had left for coffee. Tony and McGee were busy working on the case as Ziva and I got off our crutches.
“Well we know that Mrs. Riley didn’t kill her husband and Commander Andrews didn’t murder the Staff Sergeant.” McGee said.
“That leaves Lance Corporal as a suspect.” Ziva stated.”
“I still think the widow did it.”
“Of course you would.” I said.
“Some things never change.” McGee quipped.
“I know.” Ziva said as a smile played across her face.
“Hey!” Tony responded.
By the time Jethro came back Ziva and I were back on our crutches again. As Jethro walked back to the squad-room he found both Ziva and me on our crutches in front of the plasma next to his desk with McGee, Tony and Abby around us. The five of us had been in an argument for the past six minutes. At first we had been arguing over the case; McGee, Abby, Ziva and I thought that the Lance Corporal had murdered the Staff Sergeant whereas Tony thought that Mrs. Riley had murdered her husband. As Jethro heard us arguing he had the same thought he had six years prior when he watched Tony and Kate argue like teenagers.
“Why do I feel like a high school principal?”
“Try Assistant Principal, Jethro.” Jenny said as she joined us in the squad room.
Once again Jethro attempted to give Jenny the ever so recognizable Gibbs stare which just made Ziva, Abby and me laugh.
“What?” Jethro asked.
“It's nothing, Jethro.”
McGee and Tony were just as puzzled as Jethro was.
“I love how we keep them guessing.” I said.
Jethro grabbed his coat as Tony called Ducky. McGee followed Jethro’s lead and grabbed his coat. Once off the phone Tony picked up his coat and met the rest of us at the elevator. We were going to dinner, all eight of us. Jenny and I had come up with the idea on our way in earlier that morning.
At first Jethro protested, but Jenny convinced him to go along with it. I had always admired the way my sister had with Jethro; both times they were a couple. The dinner we were all going to was a celebration of my 25th birthday. We were going to a quaint café Abby found in Georgetown. Ziva was right before; Jethro and the team were family just as Jenny had been for my entire life. At that point I realized that I had it all.
Once we arrived at the café the men were complete and utter gentlemen. Jethro pulled Jenny’s chair out for her, Tony did the same for Ziva as McGee followed suit with Abby’s chair. Ducky pulled my chair out for me; then he grabbed my crutches and set them against the wall as Tony did the same with Ziva’s. The seating at the table was perfect; Jethro sat in between Jenny and Abby, McGee was on the other side of Abby, Tony sat in between Ziva and me as Ducky sat in between me and Jenny. As I predicted both Jenny and Gibbs ordered bourbon to drink. Ducky ordered scotch; Abby ordered a Red Bull, McGee ordered a rum and coke.
Tony ordered a Bombay Sapphire as Ziva ordered a Corona and I ordered a Mint Mojito. I had a feeling that Tony would order a drink that was somehow related to one of his many movies. It was Tony after all; as we all discussed various things I couldn’t help but noticed that Ziva had changed Tony. Before Tony and Ziva got together, Tony had been movie obsessed and a player. Once Ziva got a hold of him he became a gentleman like Jethro and Ducky.
The dinner was nice, the eight of us together outside of the office with no pressing matters in front of us. One point I looked over to Jethro and saw the ever so allusive Gibbs smirk play across his face as Jenny ran her fingers over his hand. Jenny saw me looking over to her and Jethro, the look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. A few minutes later I got up from the table to go to the ladies’ room; Ducky grabbed my crutches for me as I balanced on my good leg. Instead of Ziva following me to the bathroom like before Jenny came.
“It's good to see you haven’t lost your touch after all these years.”
“I’ll let that slide since it is your birthday.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
“What’s wrong? I thought you enjoyed your birthday, Jay.”
“I do; it’s just bittersweet without Dad around and then there’s the whole thing with Ethan.”
“What’s keeping you from moving in with him?”
“You.”
“Really Jay?”
“Why is that so hard to believe Jen?”
“You shouldn’t worry about me. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know, but you’re the only family I have beside Jethro and the others.”
“Jaylyn; don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, you should move in with Ethan.” Jenny said as she hugged me in a reassuring manner.
Now came the time when I would have to make a decision about Ethan and me. Later after dinner Jenny went over to Jethro’s as Ethan and I settled in to watch a tv movie. Ziva went home with Tony. McGee and Abby did the same as the rest of us. Ducky went home to the corgis.
Jenny and Jethro went down to Jethro’s basement once they got to his house. Jethro worked on his boat as Jenny perched herself on the chair Jethro had just as she had four years earlier. Before Jethro had started sanding his boat he had set his cell on his work bench next to Jenny. As Jethro sanded the boat his cell phone rang. Jenny picked up Jethro’s phone and looked at the caller id on the front of his phone.
“It’s Ziva.”
“Answer it.”
“Hello.” Jenny said.
“Gibbs.”
“It’s Jenny, Ziva. What do you need?”
“I just called to thank Gibbs for saving me five months ago.”
“You needed to be saved?”
“Pretty much, Director. Back in May I went back to Mossad and Director David put me back in the field. Gibbs, Tony and McGee saved me from being held hostage by a terrorist.”
“Okay, here’s Jethro.”Jenny said as she handed Jethro his phone.
“Gibbs.”
“I just wanted to thank for saving me again.”
“Not a problem Ziva.” Jethro said before he hit the end button on his phone.
Jethro looked over to Jenny once he set his phone down on the work bench.
“What?” Jethro asked.
“Thank-you.”

Protecting His Family.

From the minute we touched down in LA Jethro had been a bit on the tense side. It was hard to tell if he was tense because we were going to a memorial service for a fallen NCIS agent or if he was tense because LA was Vance’s territory and held the memory of when Jenny supposedly died. Minutes later we had arrived at the hotel we were staying at. Jenny and Jethro shared one room. Tony and Ziva shared one other the other rooms.
Abby and McGee took the third room. I took the fourth room as Ducky took the fifth room. I had a surprise waiting for me in my room when I had got there. Ethan had been waiting for me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was honorably discharged from the Corps. I’m a civilian like you.”
“What was the point in you being deployed?”
“I was wondering that myself.”
“Well if that’s the case then let’s make your homecoming fun.” I said with a playful look in my eyes.
“Don’t we have a memorial service to go to?”
“We have time.”
“Okay, but I don’t think your bosses would approve of it.”
“What Jenny and Jethro don’t know, won’t hurt us. Besides the memorial service for Agent Callen isn’t until four.”
At a quarter after two I had gone down to the hotel bar. Jethro was there with a glass of bourbon in front of him. It was obvious what was on Jethro’s mind.
“It wasn’t your fault that Callen died.” I said as I took the seat next to Jethro.
“I could have been there.”
“You can’t save everyone Jethro.”
A few hours later Jethro, Jenny, Ducky, Tony, Ziva, Abby, McGee, Ethan and I arrived at Callen’s memorial. Halfway into the service we were under fire. The same men that shot Callen the first time had opened fire on us. Jethro’s first concern was Jenny which gave me some comfort. McGee made sure that Abby and Ducky were safe.
I grabbed my gun from its holster as I shoved Ethan to where my sister, Abby and Ducky were. As I joined Jethro, Tony and Ziva in shooting back I noticed that McGee stayed back to guard the others. Within minutes of joining the gunfight both Ziva and I took a round the knee. At that moment Jethro had decided that it wasn’t safe for us to be at the memorial anymore.
“Get the Director, Abby and Ducky out of here; DiNozzo get Jaylyn and Ziva to a hospital now.”
Jenny had decided that it would best for her and Ducky to come to the hospital with Ziva and I. Jenny went into protective sister mode the minute I got into the car. Abby worried about Ziva and I like she always worried when someone on Team Gibbs was injured. Ducky tried his best to keep both Ziva and I from bleeding excessively as Tony sped towards the local hospital. Jenny turned to check on Ziva once Ducky turned to me.
“I’ll be fine Jenny. I’ve been injured worse than this.” Ziva said.
“I’m fine too, nothing surgery and some rehab can’t fix.”
A few hours later both Ziva and I were being wheeled out of the hospital in wheelchairs. Tony was pushing Ziva and Jethro pushed me as our crutches laid on our laps. Once we got to the automatic doors we were helped up and onto our crutches. Jenny had wanted Ziva and me to write up an incident report at OSP so we headed towards OSP. Once we stepped out of the elevator at OSP McGee and Ducky took mine and Ziva’s crutches from us as we were carried down the stairs by Jethro and Tony. At the bottom of the stairs we were given our crutches back and we slowly hobbled over a free desk to write up the incident reports.
Both Jenny and Gibbs wanted Ziva and I to stay off of our injured knees. That was easier said then done for two NCIS Agents that had to keep busy so that we didn’t completely lose our minds. When we were at work; Jethro made sure that both Ziva and I followed orders. Jethro had Ziva and I do desk work while we were at work. Tony would worry about Ziva every time she got up from her chair.
“I’m fine Tony; you can stop hovering over me like I am a child.”
“I can tell that you aren’t fine, Ziva.”
“Like I said before I am not a child that needs to be watched over; I’m your girlfriend.”
There was complete silence in the squad room after Ziva had spoken. Tony was completely dumbfounded. At that point I got up from my desk to go to the bathroom.
“Why are you up Jaylyn?” McGee asked as I balanced long enough on my left leg to grab my crutches.
“I have to go to the bathroom, McGee.”
“Oh.”
“Do you want to babysit me or something?”
“No not at all.”
“Okay.” I said as I made my way to the Ladies’ Room.
A few minutes later Ziva came to the Ladies’ Room too. Apparently Tony had inquired when Ziva got up from her desk like McGee had when I got up before.
“We are being treated like babies.”
“I’m about ready to tell my sister off.”
“I know, but Jenny cares and I’d rather have her here than Vance.”
“Yeah I know; I rather have Jenny as one of my bosses than have Vance too.”
“What’s wrong Jay; you don’t seem like yourself.”
“It’s nothing Ziva.” I said as I made my way over to the sink to wash my hands.
“It is obviously something if you’re this upset about it.”
“Ethan wants me to move in with him now that he is a former Marine.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I told him that I want to move in with him, but I can’t leave Jenny.” I said as I hobbled away from the sink to the paper towel dispenser so that Ziva could hobble over to wash her hands.
“Let me guess Ethan doesn’t understand why you can’t leave Jenny.”
“Exactly; I just got Jenny back and she is the only family I have since our dad died fourteen years ago. Ethan doesn’t get that every time I heard that Jenny took a round while she and Gibbs were in Paris ten years ago, I thought was going to lose her.”
“He will get it. And you won’t ever lose Jenny; Jay. I won’t let anything happen to her and Gibbs definitely won’t either.”
“Thanks Ziva, I’ll hold you to that.”
“I figured you would. And Jay; you have more than just Jenny as your family. You have Gibbs and the entire team as your family. It can be dysfunctional at its best; but its still family.” Ziva said as we hobbled out of the Ladies’ Room and back to the squad room before men started to worry about us.