Christmas night Jenny woke up with a nightmare, the first in quite a
while. She looked around and found Tramp lying next to her. Getting
up, she walked down the stairs to the master bedroom. The door was
open just a crack. She knocked on the door but didn't hear anything,
so she pushed the door open and saw the two men curled up with each
other, Gibbs lying almost on top of Tony. Jenny walked over to Tony's
side and looked at the man, noticing that he was almost smiling in
his sleep. She laid her hand on Tony; he woke up but didn't move,
just opened his eyes.
"Hey, Peanut, what's wrong?" he questioned groggily.
"I had a nightmare."
Tony knew both he and Gibbs were naked under the covers and didn't
automatically invite her in.
"You okay?"
"I'm scared, Tony."
"Okay, honey." Tony tried to move without waking Gibbs but it didn't
work.
"What? What's wrong? Go back to sleep," Gibbs said, trying to hold
his lover down.
"Can't. We have a visitor."
Gibbs eyes opened and saw a scared little girl standing in their
room. "Hey, sunshine, did you have a bad dream?"
She nodded her head yes. Gibbs moved over and lifted the covers.
Jenny was going to climb over Tony but Tony stopped her. Gibbs looked
at him in the dim moonlight coming in through the window.
"Um, Boss, we forgot something last night," Tony said.
"What, DiNo-" Gibbs stopped, coming to his senses, feeling the ache
in his ass, the tingles over his body and the fact that he was buck
naked under the covers. He didn't dare look to the nightstand to see
just where the dog collar had landed.
Tony bit back a laugh when he saw the realization hit Gibbs. Gibbs,
for his part, leaned over, grabbed his boxers from the floor and put
them on quickly underneath the covers. Tony had Jenny move back
while he did the same thing.
"Jethro, why is the dog collar Tony bought for Tramp on your
nightstand?"
Tony snickered, wondering how Gibbs was going to get out of this one.
Gibbs glared at him and did the only thing he could: he lied. "I was
afraid Abby would see it and try to take it home to wear for work, so
I brought it up here where she wouldn't see it."
"But she already has one."
Tony couldn't help it. He laughed out loud, holding his sides he was
laughing so hard.
"Tony," Gibbs growled playfully.
Tony leaned over and kissed Gibbs, then put his lips against his ear
and woofed softly.
"Oh, gross, you guys are at it again," Jenny complained.
"Not for long, honey," Gibbs assured her, throwing back the covers so
she could climb into bed.
Jenny climbed on the bed and crawled over Tony, settling between the
men. The moment her head hit the pillow she was asleep. Tramp jumped
up on the bed and curled up at their feet. Gibbs lay back down, still
very tired and slightly sore after what Tony had put him through.
Tony smiled, kissed the little girl and fell asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning was a quiet day around the house. The only thing
Gibbs did after picking up the various toys used the night before ?
and he was glad Jenny hadn't seen anything other than the dog collar -
was to find an old shower curtain to put under Jenny's art table.
That way she could paint and not worry about dropping any on the
floor. He even said that she could paint the wall in front of her,
make a mural all her own.
The rest of the week went by at a leisurely pace. They all spent
their days around the house. Gibbs had a bunch of new books to read
and Tony was helping Jenny with her reading. He loaded the new
computer programs on her computer to help her reading as well. New
Years came and went; they had the team over for a party. Morrow and
Jimmy both came as did a few other friends of the couple. Jenny was
allowed to stay up till the ball dropped, then she went to bed.
On January second Gibbs got up as usual at 5:00 AM and went for a
short run. Jenny had to be ready for school and at the end of the
driveway for the school bus by 6:30. Tony and Gibbs had to be in
court at 9:00 AM. Gibbs went up and woke Tony up first. He didn't
want to get up, but then Gibbs reminded him it was their daughter's
first day of school and Tony was up and out of bed. He threw on a
pair of house pants but didn't bother with a shirt, then went up and
woke Jenny up while Gibbs was in the shower.
"Okay, Peanut, time to get up and go to school."
"No, I don't want to go."
"Come on, Peanut, you have to go to school."
"Why can't I just stay home with you and Gibbs?" she asked, looking
up at him pleadingly.
"Honey, you know today we have that court thing, and next week we
have to go back to work. I thought you liked your new school."
"I just don't want to go."
"Oh, honey, you have to, it's the law. I hated school, too."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I hate getting up this early."
"Okay."
Jenny got up. She had showered the night before, so all she had to do
was dress in the cute dress Tony had laid out for her. He left once
she was up and out of bed and getting dressed. Tramp went running to
the kitchen and was sitting in front of his bowl waiting for his
little girl to feed him. Gibbs was already in the kitchen making eggs
and bacon for Jenny.
Jenny came down with her new backpack full of all the school supplies
she would need. When she got to the kitchen the first thing she did
was feed Tramp; she was very good about feeding him, right before she
ate her own breakfast and dinner. She sat down at the table just as
Jethro was sliding a plate of food in front of her. She ate slowly,
prompting Tony to rush her so she wouldn't miss the bus. Gibbs walked
them to the door and kissed her, giving her a slip of paper with the
cell phone numbers for him, Tony and Abby, then stood in the doorway
while Tony walked her down to the end of the driveway.
Tony stayed with her till the bus came to pick her up. Before getting
on she gave Tony a hug, then got on, only looking back once. Tony
waited till the bus turned the corner and then walked back to the
house. When he went back in Gibbs was in the kitchen drinking coffee.
Neither one of them chanced eating breakfast since their stomachs
were queasy from the thought of what was to come, so they went
upstairs and got ready for court. Once there they saw the man who was
contesting the will; it was Mark Manning, the same man Monica had
taken out a restraining order against ten years earlier.
They sat in the courtroom, impatiently listening to all the cases
that were called before them. When they were called, it didn't go
well at all. Gibbs had an outburst in the court that nearly resulted
in him being charged with contempt of court. He had his lawyer there
as well as Mr. Cline. Tony, impressed with Gibbs' lawyer, had begun
using him as well.
When all was said and done, it was ordered by the court that once a
mouth Mark Manning could have supervised visitation. Jenny's social
worker and her psychiatrist both testified that they thought it a bad
idea while Jenny was in such a fragile state emotionally.
The first visitation would be the next weekend. It was stated that it
would be in a public place and it would be more no more than two
hours to begin with. Both men were emotionally drained when they got
out of the courthouse about 1:00 PM. Jenny got out of school at 2:00
PM but had the after school program that would last till about 3:00
or 4:00, and then she would be home after that. Both Tony and Gibbs
went home and sat in the kitchen, in silence, drinking coffee. The
only sounds were those of them breathing.
Jenny came running into the house.
"Tony, Jethro."
"In the kitchen, honey," Tony managed, but just barely.
Jenny came running into the kitchen, glowing from her first day at
school. "I had such a good day." She sat down at the kitchen table
when she noticed the long faces on both the men. "What's wrong?"
"Jenny, we have some bad news."
Jenny froze upon hearing Tony's words.
"The court has given the man supervised visitation rights."
Jenny was shaking her head. "No."
"I'm sorry, honey, but there was nothing we could do."
"You promised they wouldn't take me away from you," she said
heatedly, pushing back from the table and standing up so quickly her
chair crashed to the floor. "You lied. You don't love me, you never
loved me, you said-" Jenny stopped and ran out of the room.
Gibbs was about to stand up and say something but Tony placed his
hand on Gibbs' arm and he stayed seated.
"She's hurting right now, Jethro."
"That doesn't excuse the way she talked to us."
"Yes, it does. Look at it from her point of view. She thinks we let
her down and that this is our fault. She doesn't understand what's
going on. All she sees is that the two people who have been looking
after her, the same two people she really just got to meet and know,
are trying to get rid of her."
"That's not what's happening."
"Jethro, I know this you know this, but we're adults. Jenny isn't. I
hate to say it, we might see her as a big girl, a young lady, but she
just doesn't understand what's happening right now. I have no doubt
that in time the court will see we're the better parents. How could
they not? We found proof that the man is a wife beater. Abby is a
wiz. I still have no clue how she found this out, and frankly I could
care less, but the custody hearing is not happening, but right now
that evidence is not legal since Abby, I'm sure, hacked into a few
things. Jenny needs to vent, and this is how she shows it."
`Tony we both love that little girl, almost more than each other."
"I know, and it pains me not to run up there right now and hold her
and make her feel better, but right now that is not going to happen
since she doesn't understand. Let her have alone time."
Gibbs scowled and went in to start cooking dinner. He was making a
pot roast for dinner. He'd put it in the crockpot before leaving for
the courthouse. He made mashed potatoes and corn to go with it for
dinner. He and Tony ate in the kitchen. Tony made up a plate and took
it upstairs.
He knocked on Jenny's door but got no answer, so he knocked again.
Opening the door a crack, he listened but didn't hear anything. He
walked up and saw no lights on as well. He walked into her bedroom
area and put the food down on the dresser. Seeing the little girl
clutching the bear and sleeping, he sat on the edge of the bed. Jenny
turned into him and was now holding him. Tony moved a stray hair out
of her face.
"Um, Tony."
"Yes, Peanut?"
"I'm scared."
"So are we, honey."
"You can't be, you're adults."
"Oh, honey, we get more scared than children do because we know
what's really out there."
"Do I have to go?"
"I don't want you to nor does Gibbs, but, yes, the court said you
have to. Don't worry, Miss Parks will be with you the whole time."
"But I don't know this man."
"No, you're right, and I'm sure the courts will see that after it
goes in front of a judge, but right now this is what has to happen."
Tony looked up. Seeing Gibbs standing in the doorframe, he smiled.
"Are you mad at me?" Jenny questioned, the words not much more than a
whisper.
"Oh, no, honey. We're not happy about what is happening, that's all."
"But Jethro is mad. I saw it in his face."
Tony looked up at the man.
"No, I'm not, Sunshine," Gibbs said, walking into the room and
sitting on the other side of her bed. "I'm mad at this man for trying
to hurt you."
Jenny just lay there, holding onto Tony, Gibbs rubbing her back,
soothing her to sleep again. After she was sleeping, Tony picked her
up and carried her to their room. It might not have been the best
idea he'd had, but right now he needed to hold her and she needed
them. He got her to get up and eat a little but not that much, then
she fell back to sleep. Tony and Gibbs didn't leave her that night
at all, for anything.
Chapter End Notes:
Warnings: thank you for reading and providing feedback. i'm writing
as i go along and would like to take a moment now to warn readers
that there will be major life altering changes coming. while not
wanting to spoil the story for hte readers, i just wanted to let you
know now and i will warn on all future parts as well. This might not
be for a while but given a heads up. I will also warn you that the
story will have a lot of Cliffhangers comeing up
Acknowledgments: I would like to thank G for writng such great SMut
she is the smut queen. She is also great wiht me boucning Ideas off
of and just do not listen to her my Muse is not pure evil. I would
also like to thank my new adviser. BC she so rocks on picking out
stuff and now almost writing the next part i was working on )poor
Gibbs) she so fucking rocks. now wiht out
any more enjoy the reading
as i go along and would like to take a moment now to warn readers
that there will be major life altering changes coming. while not
wanting to spoil the story for hte readers, i just wanted to let you
know now and i will warn on all future parts as well. This might not
be for a while but given a heads up. I will also warn you that the
story will have a lot of Cliffhangers comeing up
Acknowledgments: I would like to thank G for writng such great SMut
she is the smut queen. She is also great wiht me boucning Ideas off
of and just do not listen to her my Muse is not pure evil. I would
also like to thank my new adviser. BC she so rocks on picking out
stuff and now almost writing the next part i was working on )poor
Gibbs) she so fucking rocks. now wiht out
any more enjoy the reading