5. Chapter: Presents and a surprise
After much fun and loads of cake everybody settled back around the coffee table with the presents. Abigail sat with Ducky on a love chair, while Gerald sat down in the armchair. Gibbs and Tony sat with Lily on the couch. She was in Tony’s lab while Gibbs grabbed the first package.
“Okay, this from Ducky and Gerald!” he took the small present and gave it to the small child who put it in her mouth and was chewing the wrapping paper.
“No, no, no!” Tony laughed and gave it back to Gibbs who opened it and it was a touch and feel book.
“Great!” Tony exclaimed and gave the book his daughter who stroke about the fur on the outside.
“Thank you!” Gibbs answered and took the second present. “Once again Ducky and Gerald” he smirked and opened it. This time it was a toy, a small octopus whose arms made different tunes. Lillian let go of the small book and reached out for the new toy.
“I take she likes it!” Abby laughed and ones again Gibbs took a new present.
“Com’on guys!” he said as he read the small card. “Two presents are more than enough.”
“Well she’s our little princess!” Gerald laughed “Who else is there to spoil.”
The third package held a small skirt with dragonflies and butterflies.
“Well, it will take some time till she’ll fit in, but it was so cute, we couldn’t leave it in the store!” Ducky explained and took his cup of coffee.
Next were the two presents of Abby. She had also bought clothes " Goth clothes. One black t-shirt with a big bat on the backside and the words batty about daddy on the front and black trousers with little skull and crossbones.
Tony laughed while Gibbs rolled his eyes " what else would Abby have bought.
“I don’t know what I feel about a second Goth girl!” he said and winked at his forensic scientist.
The last presents were from Gibbs and Tony: clothes, toys and a few books.
“okay, there’s one left, but it’s upstairs.” Gibbs said finally and everything turned in his direction.
“What?” he asked and got up, took Lily from her fathers lap and guided the others to the small room which once contained his daughter’s room. He waited till Tony was next to him, walking the stairs with crutches weren’t that easy. Slowly he opened the door and everybody gasped. They looked in a totally renovated room which now was the dream of every little girl. The walls were painted in yellow and orange with little fairies on it. The wooden crib and the changing table were now painted in white " so was the rocking chair. A small closet fitting the other handmade furniture was at the left wall. Beneath the big window was the little play corner with her toys and a beanbag. Next to it was a small wooden rocking horse.
“Oh Gibbs, it’s wonderful!” Abby squealed and went inside followed by Ducky and Gerald. Tony was standing next to Gibbs, leaning at the door frame, not saying anything at all and just observed his boss. Lily crawled inside the room, straight for the horse and tried to get up. Abby who saw that helped her up, hold her back and carefully started to rock it, while Lily squealed and clapped her hands. Ducky, who saw the expression at Tony’s face and the tension between the two men, cleared his throat and turned to Gerald and Abby.
“Well, I think, we should leave now.” He said to the two other guests and nodded in the direction of the two men. Abby and Gerald nodded and they made their way back down to get their things. Gibbs and Tony followed silently, not daring to look at each other. They saw their guest off, Gibbs took care that Abby didn’t abduct Lily and they went back to the living room where Lily crawled to the pile of ribbons and wrapping paper and played with it, while the two adults sat down next to each other at the couch carefully keeping a big space.
Finally Tony looked up and asked just one word: “Why?”
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