Three months later, I was off and Jethro got called into work, leaving me alone with the twins. They were walking by now and using their own little language, snippets of words here and there.
"Mommy!...Daddy!" Ann called, looking at me and pouting, making me sigh. Jackson was playing with one of their toys and was being quiet, per usual. Ann looked like she was about to start crying and I kneeled next to her, replying,
"Dada is at work. He'll be home tonight. I promise." She looked at me and that answer didn't seem to appease her. Holding my pinky finger out to her, she wrapped her little one around mine and went back to playing. It was this new thing when Jethro and I got home, we'd spend as much time with the kids as possible and when it was their bed time, we'd spend a couple hours working on Jethro's boat. Working on the boat always ended with Jethro towering over me.
Today was a little different, very different. I was sitting in the living room, watching the kids play. Jethro's open door policy with the team, basically, ended when we had kids. So, when I heard someone walking to the front door and no one knocking, I grabbed the twins. Putting them in their rooms, I whispered,
"I'll be back. Ann be quiet." They both just looked at me and I walked back downstairs, grabbing my SIG on the way. I could hear someone moving around downstairs and as I cleared the living room, someone from the kitchen grabbed my wrist. Looking around the corner, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Reeves.
"What the hell are you doing, Reeves?!" I exclaimed, holstering my SIG and crossing my arms.
"Gibbs sent me. Apparently, some gut named Kepler has a new friend on the outside. He's worried." Hearing that name almost sent me into cardiac arrest. Sinking down on the couch, I felt my scars start to sting.
"You said Kepler?" I asked, quietly, making him worry and nod, replying,
"Yeah...Said Abby found an email the other day when Gibbs asked her to keep tabs on Kepler. He had a bad feeling."
"And he didn't tell me?"
"(F/N)...I don't think he-"
"I gotta go for a walk."
"You can't!"
"I can't, Reeves? Don't start with me. I'm going. Stay here with the twins."
"But-"
"Clayton!"
"...Please be careful."
"I'll be fine. Just keep my babies safe."
Going back upstairs, I brought them downstairs and when they were distracted, I pulled on my coat. Leaving, I walked to a park near the house and sat on the swings, holding back tears.
Two hours later, I was headed back to the house and Jethro's truck pulled over, screeching to a stop.
"(F/N)!" Jethro called, running out of his truck and I huffed, ignoring him. As I went to walk around him, he grabbed my arm and continued,
"Hey!"
"Kepler! Really? You didn't think I needed to know about that?!" I shouted, close to tears and Jethro sighed, letting go of my arm.
"(F/N), it could have been nothing. I didn't want-"
"Didn't want to what, Jethro? Let me know that that psychopath has another connection to get to me!"
"Sometimes I'm wrong, (F/N)! What if it was nothing? Worrying you over nothing is not something I wanna do."
"You should have told me! I had the right to know, Jethro! We have kids, now! What if something would've- Mmph!" Jethro cut me off, hand going to the back of my neck, and pulling me into a desperate kiss. Kissing back had became second nature, so after a moment. I tried to push him away, but he backed up and pressed me against his truck, hands going to my hips. When he pulled away, he tugged on my bottom lip and I glared at him, silently. Leaning back down, Jethro pressed a soft kiss to my mouth and when he pulled away, he whispered,
"I will never, ever, let anything happen to any of you. Please, believe me baby." I wanted to be mad at him, but when he looked at me like that I couldn't. Sighing, I rested my head against his chest and punched him, hard.
"Ow." He grunted, moving off of me and leaning against the truck, sliding his arm over my shoulders.
"C'mon. We should head home, Jethro. Reeves is with the twins." I whispered, opening the passenger side door and Jethro walked around to the driver's side. His truck was just one elongated seat in the front, so I sat closest to him and held his hand. When we got home, Jethro walked into the house first and I could hear Ann squealing, happily.
"Daddy!" Ann shouted, running to him and before I came into the room, Jackson asked,
"Mommy?" Closing the door behind me, I turned and crossed the threshold to the living room, almost falling over when a tiny body collided with my legs. Looking down, I saw short brown hair and felt my heart clench. Kneeling down, I wrapped my arms around my little boy and when I pulled back to look at him, it was like a tiny Jethro was staring back at me.
"Okay?" Jack asked, pointing to me and I placed a hand on his cheek, watching him nuzzle into it for a second.
"I'm okay, my little prince."
"Promise?"
"Pinkie promise, Jack."
Jethro's Point of View
"Pinkie promise, Jack." (F/N) whispered, wrapping her arms around him and picking him up. I was holding Ann and she had her head resting on my shoulder, quietly. Walking over to (F/N), I pressed a kiss to her cheek and Reeves asked,
"Gibbs, want me to take a picture of you guys?" Looking over to him, I nodded and handed him my phone before wrapping my arm around (F/N)'s waist. The twins turned to smile at the camera and I looked down at (F/N), as Reeves took a few pictures. In one of them, (F/N) looked up at me and I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, quickly. Putting Ann down, she went back over to her toys and when (F/N) tried to put Jackson down, he shouted,
"No, Mommy!"
(F/N) sighed, sitting on the couch and resting her hand on the back of his head, lovingly. Walking over to Reeves, I lead him into the kitchen and started,
"I need two agents here at all times. Call McGee, get him on the email with Abby."
"Already done, Gibbs. When (F/N) left, I called."
"And you let her go?"
"Gibbs, she's your wife. I couldn't have stopped her if I wanted to."
"Reeves, you handcuff her if you have to."
"What is it about this Kepler that freaked her out so much?"
Flashback
"Stop! Please!" (F/N)'s voice echoed in the video as Joesph Kepler beat her, cut her, and just plain hurt her. Blood pooling at her waist and she was blooded, bruised.
Flashback End
Looking over to (F/N), I sighed and Reeves called,
"Gibbs?" Looking back over to him, he raised a brow and I huffed, whispering,
"It's a long story and not mine to tell."
"He hurt her. Didn't he."
Glaring at him, he put his hands up and explained,
"We went work out last week."
"After work, I remember."
"Well, she was wearing a tank top and I saw these scars on her back. Littering her skin, like a human canvas."
"..."
"Torture, I'm guessing."
"We aren't talking about it, Reeves."
"Okay."
Walking back over to (F/N) and Jackson, I rested my hand on his shoulder and he turned his little glare at me, making me raise a brow. (F/N) chuckled and whispered,
"He's very jealous."
"I can see that."
"Gets it from his father." Smiling, I went to press a kiss to her cheek and Jackson put his little hand over my mouth, keeping my mouth away from (F/N). This gesture made (F/N) giggle and I grabbed my little boy's hand, whispering,
"I had her first. Your mommy is mine."
"No. Mine." As I felt (F/N) start to laugh, there was a knock on the door and (F/N) brushed Jackson's brown hair out of his face, whispering,
"Be nice to your dad."
"Stole you." Jack replied, keeping his glare on me when I got up and walked to the door, seeing Bishop and Torres through the glass. Opening the door, I let them in and when they saw (F/N), she asked,
"Seriously, Jethro?"
"(F/N), we know how Kepler is. Better to be safe than sorry." Sighing, (F/N) finally got Jackson to let go and play with his own toys, next to his sister. She walked into the kitchen and I followed behind her, quietly. As I went to wrap my arms around her waist, Jackson called,
"Daddy! No!" Looking back at him, he was pointing a toy plane at me and I rolled my eyes, placing my right hand on the small of her back. When the kids went back to playing, I moved my hand to her hip and pulled her into my side, whispering,
"Hey." She turned to me and I leaned down, kissing her softly.
"Daddy!" Jackson shouted, making me sigh and rest my forehead against her own, as (F/N) giggled.
"His new contact isn't going to touch any of us, (F/N). We'll get him. I swear." I finished, looking into her eye and tilting my head, asking,
"Okay?" Nodding, she didn't answer verbally and I nodded back, slightly. (F/N) pulled away from me and pulled out somethings for dinner, silently. Watching her for a moment, I leaned towards her and pressed a soft kiss to her neck, ignoring Jackson's protests to me being that close to (F/N). Rolling my eyes, I walked into the living room and knelt next to the twins, whispering,
"Jackson, I didn't steal mommy."
"You did. She left." He replied, glaring at me and I sighed, countering,
"She was scared. Didn't want you to worry." Jackson seemed to relax and he eyes me, skeptically,
"Scared?" Nodding, I looked at them and Ann tilted her head, asking,
"You too?" Smiling, softly, I bobbed my head back and forth, choosing not to reply. Ann put down the doll she was playing with and came over to placing her hands on my cheeks, asking,
"Scared?" Looking into those blue eyes my daughter inherited from me, I couldn't find it in myself to lie and spoke, softly,
"Yeah. Me too."
"Catch, bad guy?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah, I'll catch the bad guy, buddy." Nodding, he went back to playing and occasionally watching the cartoons on (F/N)'s flatscreen, from her old place. Kissing the back of Jackson's head and Ann's forehead, I stood up and went help (F/N) with dinner.
About forty minutes later, (F/N) and I were finished with dinner and she turned to me, requesting,
"Take out the plates. Bishop, Torres, Reeves, the twins, you, and me. Their chicken nuggets should be finished any-" The oven started beeping and (F/N) went over to the stove, silently. As she was standing over our own dinner, seconds later, I had a bad feeling. The kids were in their room, taking a nap before dinner, so it wasn't them. A red dot appeared on the back of (F/N)'s jacket and I felt my heart stop, grabbing her just before a bullet hit the wall.
I had my body covering (F/N)'s and the fear that went through her face was mutual. Reeves and Torres ran out of the house to find the shooter, Bishop staying with us. (F/N) pushed me off of her and took off up stairs, quickly. Bishop and I followed behind her. (F/N) was holding the twins and sitting on the floor, silently crying.
"I'm going talk to him, Jethro." (F/N) whispered.