“Two weeks!” Nikki shouted as she entered Tony’s apartment. “Two weeks I’ve been awake, and now they let me out of there!”
“Well, Nikki,” Tony started, “that’s what hospitals do, they keep you in there longer than nessacary to suck as mush money out of your insurance company as possible.”
“Well that’s stupid!” Nikki stated, rther loudly.
“Yes, yes it is.” Tony agreed. “Now cone here, I have a surprise for you.”
Like Nikki had stated, it had been two weeks since she woke up in the hospital. During that two weeks, Tony had his “family” do him a favor. He asked them to redo Nikki’s room. first it was dark blue, with dark blud bedding, and a wood side table. Now it was lavender and pruple straiped, with a purple canopy bed. The side table was purple metal with a purple lamp, there was also a purple wooden dressar (which Gibbs had made) and a purple desk. The “family” was sitting in the room to welcome nikki home.
“Is this for me?” Nikki asked, astounished.
“Yep. Created by your ‘family’” Tony started putting ‘family’ in air quotes, “for you.”
“Why’d you put family in air quotes?” Nikki asked confused.
“Because we’re not your true family Nikki.” Kate said trying to explain.
“Yes you are.” Nikki insisted. “True I might not be related to you, but you did this for me, you visited me in the hospital, you care about me, and my Dad. In my book, that make you true family.” Nikki said. “To me, we’re all family.”
“She’s right Jethro.” Ducky said. “We aren’t biological, but we are family.”
“Yeah.” Gibbs said with a sigh, “I guess she is Duck.” and for the first time since anyone could remember, Gibbs similed, truely smiled. Nikki went around the romm thanking everyone, and giving them a hug. Everyone hugged their new family member back, even Ziva.
“I love the room, It’s so big! When I lived with my mom, we had to share a room.” Niki stated as she began to wonder around her room.
“Really?” Tony asked suprised.
“Yeah, we didn’t have the best life.” Nikki said, “Mom worked all the time, I couldn’t go to school because Mom needed me at home, if you could call it home. We lived in an old warehouse.” Nikki said.
“Aww.” Abby said running up to Nikki to hug her again. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, I loved my life.” Nikki continued. “Mom and I were really close, we told each other everything. She taught me as much as she could, which was a lot. The only reason we lived like we did is because her parents disowned her when she became pregnat for me.”
“Wait, disowned her. Nikki, what is yor mom’s last name.” Kate asked.
“Hodgins, why?” Nikki answered confused.
“Because she told me it was Young. Your mom was a daughter of the people who owned the Cantileiver Group?” Tony said in disbelief.
“Yes, but I don’t understand what that means.” Nikki answered.
“Nikki, it means you’re rich, if we’re able to prove to the head of the group that you’re Liz’s daughter.” Gibbs said.
“Well who’s the head of the group?” Nikki asked, excited now.
“I can go back the the office and look it up Boss.” Mcgee offered.
“Go and do it Mcgee.” Gibbs ordered.
“What should the rest of us do?” Tony asked.
“Well... I don’t know DiNozzo.” Gibbs answered as he followed Mcgee out of the room.
“Hey, Tony,” Kate started, “Do you mind if Abby and I take Nikki shopping for new clothes. She doesn’t have may.”
“Can they Dad?” Nikki begged.
“All right, just don’t let Abby pick out any of the clothes.” Tony said.
“And why not?” Abby asked, a little offended.
“Because Abby, all though you look amazing in those clothes, I don’t think teachers will really like her wearing them to school.” Tony answered.
“You mean I’m gonna go to school?” Nikki asked, excited.
“Yep, as soon as it starts.” Tony answer.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go to school!” Nikki danced around the room shouting.
“Who knew a child could be so excited about going to school?” Ducky said as he watched Nikki dance around.
“C’mon Nikki.” Kate called and soon after, Abby, Kate, and Nikki left for the store, leaving Ducky, Ziva, and Tony in Nikki’s room.
“I really apperciate what all of you did. For me, for Nikki, everything.” Tony said tahnking them.
“Well, Anthony, what else is family for.” Ducky answered.
“And this room, it’s amazing!” Tony said in admiring it.
“Well, Ziva picked out most of it, the color, the furnature, and the light fixture.” Ducky admitted
“Really?” Tony asked, turning to look at Ziva.
“Hey, I’m not as cold as everyone thinks. I do have feelings, and I do care. Plus I noticed that Nikki loved purple, and just put that into the room.” Ziva admitted.
“Well, thank you sis!” Tony said. Ziva just smilied at the comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I like this shirt!” Nikki said as she pulled a purple shirt off the rack that had stars all over it. They had gotten all of the basis, shirts, socks, underwear, and pants. All that was left was for Nikki to try them on. As she was trying on, she talked to Kate and Abby.
“I really wish you picked out other colors. All you have is purple!” Kate was saying.
“Yeah, you should have grabbed some black!” Abby added.
“But I like purple.” Nikki replied as she came out wearing a simple pair of jeans and the purple star shirt. “I really like this shirt.”
“I do too.” Kate agreed.
“Can we talk about the family a bit?” Nikki asked nervously.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Kate asked.
“Well, do any of you have family?” Nikki asked.
“Um, Gibbs doesn’t. Ducky has his mother. Ziva has a father, but he lives in Isreal, where she’s from. Mcgee has a younger sister, Sarah. Abby has a brother, Chris. I have no one.” Kate answered while numbering people off on her finger.
“Okay, so can I get something straight, about family positions?” Nikki asked. “Ducky is y great grandfather, Gibbs my grandfather, Mcgee my uncle, Abby and Ziva my aunts, and you, Kate, are my mother?” Nikki asked.
“Up until the Kate being your mother part, you got it right.” Abby answered.
“You think of me as your mother?” Kate asked.
“Yeah, I mean, I know you didn’t marry Dad or anything, but it just feels right.” Nikki said. “You remind me a lot of my Mom.”
“Okay then.” Kate answered, “If you want to consider me as your mother, I will be.” Kate said as Nikki came out wearing her clothes. “Come on, let’s go check out.”
While in the chrck out line, Kate’s phone rang. “Todd.” she answered. “Okay... Be right there.” She hung up. “They found the head, and only living member, of the cantiliver group.” Kate said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, who is he, or she?” Nikki asked as she ran into the squadroom.
“It’s a he.” Gibbs answered, “His name is Jack Hodgins, he’s a doctor at the Jeffersoinain institute in DC.”
“So we can go see him then.”Nikki said.
“Yep. c’mon kid.” Tony siad, “Let’s go talk to your biological uncle.”
“Aren’t you coing too?” Nikki asked the rest of her family.
“No, you and Tony go.” Gibbs answered, “we’ll be here when you get back.” And with that, Tony and Nikki stepped into the elevator and were on there wayu to talk to Dr. Jack Hodgins.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Nikki comes home and they all learn a little something about her mom
Chapter End Notes:
There is an unitentional crossover with Bones. THis I just added while writing, I didn't mean for it to be in the story.