Chapter 2 the fun begins
The usually reasonably calm house turns into a circus arena.
Bags are everywhere; children are running in different direction, while the adults try to get things organized before dinner starts. Jeremy teases Robert, asking him what's for dinner, and he answers, "Chicken again".
Hmm, Kate thinks in her heart, thank God it is roast beef tonight or her brother would have laughed and made fun of her, like he always does.
Robert can hardly eat his dinner, he is so busy – taking care of his guests; going up and down from his chair, back and forth the kitchen…taking this and that for Cousin Jaclyn and Joshua.
After a long fun dinner, by the time they put their luggage away neatly, it is already past eleven at night. Jaclyn and Joshua are tired from the long trip but they are too excited to sleep – they station themselves in Robert's basement, playing and talking with him.
Kate's brother and his wife are continuing their journey tomorrow morning, they are going to visit one of their closest friends down South at another state.
The Gibbs's house is more than adequate to accommodate the entire additional family, but NO - Jaclyn and Joshua refuse to sleep in the regular boring bed in the guest room downstairs, they opt for the rollaway beds in ‘Robert's basement'.
It is almost midnight when the Trouble, Problem and Drool are in their pajamas; both Gibbs and Kate are in their son's room, chatting with the three children.
Kate can see Robert's eyes twinkle – her son is in high spirits and he can't stop talking, even though his sentences are far from being perfect.
Gibbs is in the middle of Robert's bed with Robert, Jaclyn and Joshua surrounding him. Their parents are tucked away in the guest room, exhausted from the trip; they have to rest so that they can continue their journey the next day.
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Then she remembers: "We brought presents" Jaclyn exclaims as she slips down from the bed and walks towards their bags.
"Jaclyn, get mine too" Joshua orders his younger sister.
"Ok, ok" she obliges.
"Boys! They are bossy!!!" Kate hears her complain, murmuring to herself, as she digs into her bags. Kate tries hard not to laugh.
Jaclyn and Joshua saved their allowance for over a year to buy presents for their aunt, uncle and Bobby.
Kate receives a beautiful star shaped brooch, for their ‘favorite aunt'.
Gibbs receives a mean sized thermos cup with "best uncle in the world" written on the side, "for your coffee" they explain to him as he opens the gift.
"Thank you guys" Gibbs said to them, he kisses Jaclyn's cheeks and hugs Joshua.
Last but not least, like a good boy – Robert fidgets by his bed, looking at the scene in front of him, he is waiting…waiting for his turn. Kate glances at her son, she looks at him proudly; he is quite well behaved for his age.
Robert's patience pays off! He receives three presents.
One from his uncle and aunt, one from Cousin Jaclyn and another one from Cousin Joshua.
From his uncle and aunt, he receives a small sized Marine uniform, Robert touches the material carefully, unable to speak – he now has a Marine uniform, just like his dad's.
"Robert…you'll thank your aunt and uncle tomorrow, won't you?" Kate reminds the astounded boy.
"Bobby thank now" he decides as he runs past his mom, about to go towards the guest room.
"Oh no Robert, they are already asleep, tomorrow, ok?" Kate catches his arm.
"OK" he replies quickly, obviously he is still very curious about his two other presents.
"Bobby! Come here" Jaclyn is equally impatient for Robert to open her present
"You haven't open our present yet" Jaclyn points at the two gifts on his bed.
"OK" he dashes to his bed where his dad is sitting, he is so happy that he lunges and kisses his dad for no reason.
Robert opens the present from Jaclyn – Kate whispers: "Oh…my…God!" as she sees a huge basket of assorted chocolate, marshmallow, candy, sour balls, Gummy bears, Jelly beans and many other types of candy.
Gibbs eyes enlarges in surprise as he sees what are inside the basket, his son is in heaven and his wife is in shock.
"BOBBY LOVE JACLYN!" the toddler exclaims and hugs his cousin fiercely.
Jaclyn grins happily, Gibbs witnesses her sticking out her tongue at her brother – Trouble and Problem are competing against each other over whose present Robert likes best!
"Auw…Jaclyn, your present may be bigger but mine is much cooler" Joshua said with confident in his voice.
"Robert, you haven't opened the present from me" Joshua urges the baffled boy.
Robert is overwhelmed! He doesn't know what to do. He is not done admiring his marine uniform, he is still not done taking inventory of his assorted sweet baskets, he doesn't know where he can store ALL the candy - his favorite food – and there is another unopened present for him; but he doesn't wish to let go of his opened gifts.
Then Gibbs calms him down, "Robert, put them down on your bed, nobody is taking them away from you, OK?" he looks at his wife who is still mesmerized with the huge quantity of candies, as she is the one who usually takes his candy away from him.
"…then you can open the present from Joshua" Gibbs continues, he is still gazing at his own thermos in his hands; he is surprised with the thoughtful gifts, he is glad and the guys and him planned something that will rock Joshua and Jaclyn's world.
Robert rips off the wrapper and he finds a bottle green plastic rifle, he just strokes the rifle gently, afraid that he might break it, his eyes are gleaming, he is lost in his own world.
"It's to go along with your uniform Bobby" Joshua explains to his cousin.
"It's dad's idea Joshua!" Jaclyn intervenes, reminding her brother that it is NOT his idea.
Joshua ignores the annoying comment.
"Robert, what do you say to Joshua?" Gibbs wakes the boy from his daydream.
Robert looks surprised, he looks up from his rifle, swings the sling over his shoulder and beams at Joshua and screams, "THANK YOU JOSHUA! BOBBY LOVE GUN!"
Kate flinches as she hears the boy's scream along with the additional chatter bugs, the kids are hyper at midnight, she wonders how on earth are they going to put them to bed. Half an hour later, after lots of "goodnights and kisses", Kate and Gibbs tuck the still excited kids into their bed.
Robert refused to have all his presents to be put away, just for tonight, he bargains with his mom; he placed the huge bag of sweets by the nightstand, tucked his uniform under his pillow and his rifle by his side.
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"I've never seen him that excited Kate" Gibbs yawns as he slips into their bed.
""I know, I am glad they are here Jethro" Kate snuggles deeper into her bed, and embraces her husband as he slips in between the blankets.
They are comfortably lying on the bed. Kate is six months pregnant now with their second child, within fifteen minutes, with one of his hands on her belly she is fast asleep.
Gibbs is about to fall asleep, after satisfied from sniffing his wife; but he is jarred awake by sounds: a click and definite footsteps from downstairs. He could have sworn that he locked all the doors and windows. It couldn't be Jeremy or Lucy, they were both dead to the world hours ago.
He quickly grabs his gun, walks out from his room, thinking about his wife, three kids who are asleep in the next room and he is glad that his brother in law is in the house.
Gibbs cocks his gun by the door, he wishes he's been on the shooting range, it's been more than a year since he last fired a gun, he descends from the 2nd floor , aims the gun at the door and…
"Jethro! Put the gun down! It's us for God's sake" Ducky is shocked to be greeted by a gun at the dead of the night.
Suddenly the ME is pushed in front by Tony, Ducky stumbles forward, if not for Gibbs catching his arms, he would have fallen flat on his face, then the Director sees McGee following DiNozzo.
"Where are the kids?" Tony and McGee ask at the same time looking around the empty living room.
Gibbs rolls his eyes and points at the time, it is one in the morning.
Then Abby enters the door with a cloth bag in her arms – asking the same question, "Where are the kids?"
"Sorry Boss! Late case!" DiNozzo explains quietly, he sees Ducky is glaring at him, the ME must be really angry; Ducky has been bugging him to hurry up but they are not done yet, and the kids are already asleep.
"Wow Gibbs! You are wearing a robe now???" Abby is looking at him…up and down, must be Kate's idea.
"Very funny Abby" Gibbs smirks, slightly embarrassed with his attire as he is used to his old shirt and boxer shorts.
"You think they'll be awake Boss?" DiNozzo is not willing to leave yet
Before Gibbs can tell him to go to hell, Kate and him spent almost half an hour to ‘sedate' the kids; then they hear a crash – it's McGee, he crashes into the coat stand by the door and it topples down, causing a racket.
"SHHHH McGee!" Abby and Tony hiss fiercely at him.
"Jethro…" They hear Kate's voice from the 2nd floor
"The clowns and Ducky, Kate" Gibbs looks up to her, announcing them.
The quiet night turns into a late night carnival.
"DUCKY!!! ABBY!!! TONY!!! MCGEE!!!" Jaclyn and Joshua greet their friends from the second floor.
They hear the racket – Jaclyn orders her brother to investigate, she says it might be robbers, and Joshua said that only the most idiotic robbers dared rob this house, everybody has a gun or more.
"JOSHUA! JACLYN!" equally loud excited greetings from the gang.
Jaclyn and Joshua climb down the stairs and run towards them; they hug their friends in turns: first they hug Ducky, letting the old man praise them and tell them how much they have grown; them they hug the rest of the guys, Jaclyn even makes Tony carry her in his arms.
Little Robert reaches the group last because his short leg couldn't run as fast as his cousins and he is still very sleepy, but happy to see the usual crowd in his house.
In between the excited talking and shouting, the inquisitive two and half years old notices something – it is a cloth bag, by the door, near Abby's leg…and it is moving! He cocks his head, paying attention to the moving bag tied with a blue ribbon and commented: "What's that?" as he points at the bag.
Then Ducky remembers: "Oh yes yes! Jaclyn, Joshua, we have something for you, it is just ‘one' thing from all of us, it's your Uncle Jethro's idea and we all believe that you are both responsible enough to be…"
Abby fidgets and interrupts her ME, "OH DUCKY! C'mon already!" she is now jumping on the spot with the bag in her hands.
"Guys, let's open your present together!" Tony urges the kids and they walk closer to Abby.
Kate is hugged by her smiling husband, looking up at him, curious – she has no idea about this particular gift. Then she gasps as she sees a light brown furred dog, ‘Oh my God, Jeremy is going to kill me"
"No he won't, I've checked with him" Gibbs replies - kids love surprises, but not adults, he realized that, so he called his brother in law to check about the additional member to his family and he said it is all right.
"PUPPY!!!" Trouble and Problem shouts in unison.
"Doggie!" Robert is surprised, he is pointing at the sleeping doggie still in Abby's arms, about to be transferred to Jaclyn's arms.
"It's a Golden Retriever guys! Male" McGee explains to the kids.
"Thank you…" They manage to speak.
Robert is jumping - suddenly he is not sleepy anymore - trying to see the doggie in Jaclyn's arms more clearly.
Gibbs hoists him up so he can have a better look at it and the boy gently strokes the dog's head.
"Guys! Some help here" McGee calls for Tony and Abby, he is carrying a load of stuff.
"WOW!" Jaclyn and Joshua exclaims, as they see the dog's bedding and food.
"Thanks Probie!" Tony takes the credit, as he takes the stuff away from him and gives them to the kids and Jaclyn kisses Tony all over.
It is almost two in the morning and the Gibbs's living room is full; when Kate asks whether they are hungry – they say no. But when she quietly slips out to the kitchen and returns with tray of sandwiches and a jug of milk, they swarm over them.
Kate looks at her dearest friends…eating with gusto, she knows their schedules and their eating habits.
Never once did she imagine that she'll marry the man who recruited her, Gibbs used to be ‘broken', she used to be lonely – and look at him and her now. Kate gazes at her man, sitting with her son who is already dozing off to sleep in his arms.
Robert refuses to be taken to his room either by his mom or dad – so he is now fast asleep, safely tucks in his dad's arms.
Ducky, amongst the cheerfulness around him, still manages to witness his old friend, the old bastard, who is sometimes looking at his son with love and contentment in his eyes.
It is half an hour later, when: "Joshua, Jaclyn, it's enough baby, go to bed now" she decides for them, she can see that they are tired and sleepy even though they claimed that they are not…as they yawn.
"Come Abby, help me get the rooms ready…you guys are all staying here for the night, it is nearer to the HQ," Kate comes to a decision for her closest friends.
Within fifteen minutes:
DiNozzo and McGee are sleeping comfortably on the living room's couches.
Ducky is sleeping in ‘his room' where he always sleeps whenever he spends the night with the Gibbs family.
Little Robert is fast asleep and does not wake up when he is carried upstairs; so he is sleeping with his parents.
Abby is sharing a room with Trouble and Problem. Abby is the Gibbs's regular sitter – so she has some of her pajamas there, it is her second home.
Problem solved and everybody is assigned a sleeping arrangement.
Gibbs, the man of the house, switches off the main light, satisfied with the conditions and goes back to his room.
He smirks with wonder – wondering what tomorrow's gonna bring with Trouble and Problem in town, this time with a sidekick – Drool, his son.
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-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV)
Author's Chapter Notes:
the tittle says it all.