The Riddle

- Chapter 1: Memories That Couldn't Be Forgotten -

"Shannon?"

"No Jethro, I'm Jenny," she replied. His eyes clouded for a moment and she knew he didn't remember.

"I don't know you."

"It's okay Jethro, we'll work on that." She saw his face twist and could see tears in his eyes as he looked at her.

"They're gone, they're both gone. God it hurts!" he sobbed. Jenny's eyes clouded with tears. He was gripping her arm far to tight but she didn't care or make any effort to move it, she deserved this.

"It's okay Jethro, it'll be okay." She felt her entire soul shatter, she could only imagine how he must have felt all those years ago; at least she was there now. He had her and his team. I'm sorry Jethro, I love you.

She returned to headquarters to place call to someone who could help and to check in on the team. Abby was a wreck but she was holding herself together and accepted the Director's request to look up a Shannon and Kelley Gibbs. If Abby was surprised she didn't know show but she kept her search simple. Now Jenny and Ducky were looking at the results.

"Says the case is cold," Jenny surmised. Ducky sighed.

"You can close it. Jethro got him."

"How do you know?"

"He wouldn't have let the murderer of his wife and child escape. He got his revenge," Ducky paused studying the Director. She was starring at the pictures. "She's a beautiful girl."

"Yea, he always did like redheads," She responded moving to sit at her desk.

"Does that include you?" Jenny raised an eyebrow; she wasn't sure what this had to do with anything. Ducky knew her past with Jethro, well part of it.

"I'm not surprised he never told me, if that's what you're asking."

"He wouldn't have had to, you lived it Shannon." Jenny met the good Doctor's eyes in shock and than noticed the papers her placed in front of her. "I thought Abby's investigation was lacking. So which is it Jennifer Shannon or Shannon Jennifer?"

"Jennifer Shannon," Jenny answered quietly knowing there was no use denying it.

"I suspected as much."

"You're not going to tell him are you?" Jenny inquired trying not to sound panicked.

"My dear that is all you, you..."

"I can't. I could find a way to reveal Abby, but he could never know about me."

"Why not?"

"Because he loved her, and Shannon is truly dead."

"He loved you, as Jenny."

"Ducky, what we had in Paris was not even half what we had than," Jenny responded somewhat bitterly. "And its because Shannon died, I know that."

"Well whatever you chose Director."

"Thank you Ducky."

---

She stood on the stairs watching him say his goodbyes. She was surprised she had not broken down yet, though she felt tears as he kissed Abby's cheek. Jenny knew that look, the look of her daughter's heart breaking as her father left for lands unknown. His letter of resignation sat on her desk and she wanted to make him take it back. She felt his eyes on her and she met them, nodding, trying to smile. I'm sorry Jethro, I love you.

"Semper Fi!" There was silence as the elevator doors closed. She looked down at the team absorbing all their heartbroken faces. Tony would be the new team leader, but their father was gone, the alpha male, the one who held them all together.

"He'll be back," Abby announced, her voice choked with sobs.

"Abbs I'm no..." McGee faded off at the warning look from Ziva. Jenny knew they need time to mourn but she wasn't going to let this team splinter. She came down the stairs to join them.

"Abby's right, he'll be back."

"Director he retired!"

"No Agent DiNozzo, he's got fifteen years worth of vacation," she answered.

"Ah...so how do you know, Boss seemed pretty sure."

"You don't know Gibbs," Jenny laughed. "You'll see another case, someone will need his help and he'll be back."

"So what do we do until then?" McGee asked.

"What would Gibbs do?"

---

The house was quiet. The sanders were missing from the table, the boat was gone, but otherwise the house was the same as it had always been. Jenny sat on the steps into the basement starring at the empty space, feeling the same in her heart. He would never know she was there; he was enjoying the sun in Mexico.

It had only been a couple of months but Jenny could still picture him, leaving her office, leaving NCIS, as if it were yesterday. The team was holding together, Gibbs had taught Tony well and even her position as Director was finally showing some worth. She was getting ready to send an Agent undercover and she desperately wished Gibbs were there, just so she knew she was doing the right thing.

"Mom!" The surprised gasp startled her.

"Abby! God you scared me."

"I didn't know you had a key," Abby said.

"He never changed the hiding spot."

"Oh." Abby sat down next to her. "It's odd being down here, without him or the boat."

"It will all be alright, he'll be back."

"How much more vacation does he have?"

"Two months on the dot."

"You counting?"

"Yes."

"How long before he's back?"

"Providing no one gets into trouble, I give it another month."

"I...maybe we should've..."

"No Abby, no." Jenny was firm she didn't need to hear what ifs.

---

The Mexican sun slipped below the horizon casting the ocean into gold. Leroy Jethro Gibbs watched from where he was sanding his boat. It was coming along nicely and it was keeping other thoughts from his mind. He stopped to rest and closed his eyes for a minute, as he'd expected the dream played over and over.

He was sitting on the bench; Shannon was playing with Kelley on the swings and looking up every so often to smile. An older gentleman sat down beside him.

"Beautiful family you got there."

"Thank you Sir."

"Ah no need for Sir, Colonel Jasper Shepard," the man said.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Gunnery Sergeant."

"Oh I know, Johanna told me all about you." At Gibbs questioning look the older man continued. "I knew Johanna and Shannon too, when they were just girls. Shannon and I haven't really spoken in years. Johanna said she was happy."

"Surely you'd like to say hello, Shannon!" Gibbs called. The redhead woman looked up and Gibbs thought he saw shock but wasn't sure. Kelley came running over.

"Daddy did you see?"

"I did, Kelley, princess, this is Colonel Jasper Shepard, he's friends with Aunt Johanna," Gibbs introduced. Kelley immediately became fascinated with the older man and Gibbs stood approaching Shannon. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Jethro, I just haven't seen him in a very long time. I can't imagine what Johanna was thinking."

"Old family friend, he said."

"Yes old family."

At this Gibbs was startled awake by his phone. He didn't answer right away. There was something missing about that memory. He was sure the dream was a memory but he only knew one person with the last name Shepard and she'd never met Shannon. Still he remembered his old partner mentioning her father once. His name had come up in connection a case.

"Jasper Shepard is my father, well was."

"Was?"

"He's dead. Next person on the list?"

The phone's ringing broke his trance.

"Hello."

"Gibbs, I need your help."

Chapter 2