A/N: Sorry this took me so long. But I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. There also is a little surprise at the end of this chapter...

Chapter Sixteen

Gibbs probably drove faster than he ever had in his entire life. He was driving as if the devil himself was after them. Even though Ducky had become acquainted with Gibbs’s driving skills a long time ago, he couldn’t recall a situation when it had ever scared him more than this time.

It still took more than 20 minutes to reach the small boathouse at Chesapeake Bay, where he kept his unfinished boat.

“When did she tell you?” Gibbs all of a sudden started to speak. Ducky was surprised not only by Gibbs vocalizing concern but the seeming, yet eerily calm manner in which he did it. His voice was calm and yet angst-ridden.

Still petrified from Gibbs’s way of driving, it took Ducky a few seconds to regain his composure.

“She didn’t exactly tell me. Only after I voiced my suspicion. As a physician I could easily assume from the data on her patient’s chart and the listed medication or let’s better call it non-medication.” Ducky hesitantly admitted.

“Non-medication? Duck, you are not telling me she has a concussion and a broken arm and doesn’t get any medication?” Gibbs suddenly sounded very upset.

“Basically ... ahhh ... yes,” Ducky stammered, which led to what he had already feared would happen. Gibbs stepped on it. Hollis being in pain made his gut twist. She didn’t deserve this!

As they passed the boathouse from the road above, Gibbs took a sudden sharp turn and sped down the gravel path which led to the small boathouse. At the same time he delivered a sharp mental smack to the back of his own head. What if she had fainted again? What if she had slipped on the planks? What if she hadn’t answered his call because...? It was too horrible for him to continue the thought.

Slamming on the brakes he brought his car to a halt directly in front of the entrance to the cabin and got out of the car the very same instant. Catching sight of Hollis, he stopped abruptly as he entered the boathouse. Huddled in the corner to his right, her head was resting against the wall, her hair disheveled, her face turned away from him.

“Holl...,” he breathed, fighting the heavy lump that was tying up his throat.

He could see her chest heaving evenly, but she didn’t react to the men’s arrival. Thank god, she’s alive, Gibbs thought as he carefully approached her. Crouching down beside her, he gave her a quick look-over to check for new visible injuries. When he couldn’t make out any, he sighed with relief.

“Holli,” he softly repeated her name two or three times, watching as she slowly seemed to wake up from sleeping.

“Hmmm...” Her eyelids fluttered and she tried to lift her head and turn into the voice’s direction.

Gibbs reached out his hand to carefully remove her hair out of her face, stroking it back gently. Her face was cold and she started shivering. Gibbs took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders. Other than this, he was paralyzed. He didn’t know what to say. He was afraid she woudn’t want him to be there.

“Jethro,” Hollis said and she swallowed hard as their eyes met. “Jethro, I ... You... We... .” Her breathing became ragged as she started to panic.

Gibbs suddenly moved forward and took her in a tight embrace, a split second before she burst out into tears. He held her and rocked her gently, while covering her with the blanket Ducky had fetched from the trunk of his car. Wrapping it around her, he continued to stroke her hair, whispering, “I know, Holl. I know,” against her neck.

After exchanging glances of mutual consent with Gibbs, Ducky went outside, to give the two of them some time together.

When her sobbing subsided, Hollis shyly leaned back, but she still was too confused and too worried to understand what was happening. Gibbs didn’t break contact with her; his hand was still resting in the back of her neck.

“I’m so sorry, this happened,” Hollis finally said. “There was no way I ever could have seen this coming. Maybe, if you had told me, then I could have ... we might have ...,” she let her voice trail off and she immediately tried to avoid his gaze, knowing this thought was ridiculous.

But Gibbs wouldn’t have been Gibbs if he didn’t know what she had wanted to say. He tilted up her chin and gently turned it so that she would look at him again.

“Then what?” he asked softly and waited for her to look him in the eye again. When she did, she found his face had lost its tension and he was smiling cautiously. “Would you have started taking the pill? Just ... in case?”

Hollis bit her lip and again lowered her gaze. Now that he had spoken it out aloud, it sounded even more ridiculous.

“Or would you have preferred other ... arrangements? Maybe...” He brought his lips close to her ear and lowered his voice to whisper in her ear.

The noise which escaped her upon his suggestion was a mixture of a stifled laugh and a sobbing. Gibbs pressed his lips softly to her ear.

“I love you,” he whispered and placed a soft kiss close to her ear before leaning back to look at her and see her smile timidly. “Both of you,” he reassured her softly. Then his face changed to a serious expression again, causing Hollis to look worriedly again as well. “You are right, Holli,” he said. “It scares the hell out of me, but ...“ He took a deep breath and his face lightened up again. Being overwhelmed by the emotions that were surging inside of him, he struggled for words. “A baby. ... This is... . Wow.” Tears were glistening in the corner of his eyes.

“Yeah, this is wow,” Hollis murmured, trying to put her own feelings into words. A small smile appeared on her lips. But she wanted Jethro to know by all means that, “If I hadn’t known about your family, I would have told you immediately.”

“Yeah, I know you would have.” He didn’t have the slightest doubt. Then his look got thoughtful. “But I’m not sure what my reaction would have been like, then. I probably would not have been able to open up to you even then and I would have probably hurt your feelings because you would have assumed that I didn’t want the child and you would have been disappointed and ...”

“That happened to one of your other marriages?” Hollis interrupted his sudden flow of words.

“No,” he said, realizing for the very first time that none of his three ex-wives had ever even mentioned the idea of having children with him.

“Hey, you all right?” Gibbs asked, noticing the tense expression on her face.

“Jethro, I’m scared. What if...?” she said, but Gibbs silenced her by laying his finger across her lips. He looked at her, eyes wide open and slowly shook his head. She could see he was worried as well, but there was also confidence lying in this silent gesture.

“Let’s get you back,” he suggested.

To be continued...

Did you like it? Can you hear Gibbs saying ‘wow’?

A/N: This was supposed to be the very last chapter of “On The Run”, but you might agree, something is missing here. So there will be at least one more chapter plus an epilogue, in one of which I sure will have to mention Jenny again.

I had -- well, still have -- so much fun writing this story, even if actually typing and posting it often took a long time. Thank you everyone who stayed with me and thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Don’t stop them, because I love them a lot.

Thanks to my beta doomprincess for patiently answering my questions and for doing a great beta-job!

Also, if you’d let me know what else you’d like to see going on between Hollis and Gibbs, I’ll try to see to it. Or maybe you even have an idea for another Mibbs (as I seem to lack them momentarily)?