Bullpen
It is almost 5pm. She hasn’t finished her report.
“Damn it!” she swears quietly.
”Tony, I’ve got to go and do grocery shopping, or the schmucks would starve. I don’t think I can finish it up today.”
“You should go, Kate. In fact, I need to do my grocery shopping as well. It’s been weeks since I did mine the last time. I’m sure Boss wouldn’t mind. He wouldn’t want his kids to starve,” Tony makes a mock of his boss. So, they tidy things up and get ready to go.
-----------------------------------------------
Abby’s Lab
They arrive in Abby’s lab.
“Aunt Katie, we missed you!” the kids greet her cheerfully.
They’re genuinely glad to see her. All Kate’s tiredness and aches disappear. This is why parents keep their kids, she decides.
“Let’s go, Sweetie! We’ve got some shopping to do.” She picks them up.
“Yeah!!! C’mon, lets go!” They jump up and down. “Abby, C’mon!” The kids pull her.
“Let’s go, Abby!” Tony helps the kids and pushes her towards the door.
“Yeah…why not!” she responds.
“Aunt Katie, what about Jethro?” Jaclyn wonders all of a sudden.
”Oh…Jaclyn, he is busy. He has a lot of work to do, and can’t be with you all…the time” she tries to explain to the sad Jaclyn.
Abruptly, Kate is interrupted by Gibbs’ cheers, coming from outside the lab. “C’mon, let’s go! I’ll race you guys!” He stands close to the door.
In that instant, Trouble and Problem make a mad dash towards him, and Gibbs runs away from them towards the elevator.
“Be careful!” Kate tries, but nobody listens.
Thus, Tony and Abby carry Joshua and Jaclyn’s backpacks, and they walk to each of their own cars.
‘Funny,’ Tony thought, ‘four cars to the same destination…of course, the kids want to sit in Gibbs’ car.’
Abby can hear their happy cheers and laughter from inside of her car. ‘That Boss Man can really entertain kids,’ she thought. Kate makes a quick call to Ducky and invites him for dinner, which he gladly accepted.
----------------------------------------------------------
Supermarket
Kate pushes her own cart while Abby and Tony share. Gibbs pushes his own cart with the kids sitting inside, and they go around the isles having fun and getting some groceries.
Kate can hear them from the other side of the supermarket - they are happy with him.
Abby is soon done with her shopping, and she comes over to help Kate. She is glad to get her help since Abby is, surprisingly, good in organizing and deciding between good and bad food. Kate is simply impressed.
Abby tells her that she takes care of her family needs, including her younger brothers’.
So, the two ladies decide to get both yummy and healthy food, and the list goes on and on: bread, milk, eggs, pancake mix, yogurt, cereals, pop tarts, pasta, lasagna, potatoes, vegetables, cookies, chicken, variety of sauces, frozen pies and many more…including toilet paper, bounce, kid’s shampoo, soaps, juices, ice cream.
Kate doesn’t know when the kids’ parents would pick them up. Her colleagues have been sharing meals with her, and now she wants to do the same. Kate finds it kind of fun anyway.
It took them almost two hours to finish. She never buys that much when she’s alone. Abby and Tony pay at one end of the register counter while Kate and Gibbs queue up at the other end. She takes a look at Gibbs’ cart and sees that it’s filled with bags of cookies, marshmallows, chips, and many more things, which the kids and he love, plus some basic necessities for his home.
Kate is not paying attention to Jaclyn and Gibbs, she is disrupted by Joshua. He starts harassing her to buy him some candies, which he very much has to have, near the cash register…impulse buying.
In the meantime, there is an old lady with a cane who lines up behind them with the cat food.
Gibbs notices her and tells her, “You can go first, ma’am,” and he lets her through in front of them.
“Oh, thank you, young man.” Gibbs thought that he is actually still young if one compares with her. Jaclyn is staring at the cat food, trying to tell Gibbs that she does love cats as well.
“Doing grocery shopping with your wife and kids? How nice! And, what a sweet girl you have. She looks like your wife…” she says, while pinching Jaclyn’s cheek lovingly.
Before Gibbs could say anything, she speaks again, “Not many people do that…nowadays, too busy with their own hectic lives.” She goes on complaining as she pays for the cat food. Gibbs decides to keep quiet while Jaclyn does the same in his arms. She smiles at the sweet old lady with the cat food.
---------------------------------------------------------
Kate’s Apartment
Her usually quiet apartment is changing drastically. It is now with full of people.
The place is full of laughter and cheer. Gone, are all the fear and doubts she had. Her friends are there now to help her every step of the way, and she didn’t even ask for it. Besides, Abby thinks Kate’s place is great, and it rocks.
Abby and Tony are monkeying around with Joshua and Jaclyn. Gibbs is helping Kate to prepare dinner - cooking risotto and making salad.
Gibbs is the anchor and guardian for the two monkeys. When they can’t handle Tony and Abby anymore, they’ll run to him in the kitchen for the protection, and hide behind his legs, and then, stick their tongues out at the older monkeys; because they know he is the boss among all of them, and nobody crosses his path.
Then, Ducky arrives with loaves of bread and a bottle of wine to join the fun while Abby sets up the table.
Soon after…
”OK, dinner’s ready!” and they all sit and tuck in hungrily.
The table is too small for all of them, but she hears no complaint. They are all busy making yummy noises, enjoying the food, while sitting very close to each other. Gibbs sits very close to Kate, almost touching each other. In fact, they are enjoying the closeness, and the guys don’t seem to notice, or they just ignore them.
They are all eating and having conversation when, suddenly, Tony burps.
“EUWW…!” Jaclyn complains and closes her mouth.
“Ha…ha…ha!” Joshua laughs and burps, too.
After dinner, Kate serves yesterday’s marshmallows with cups of hot milk since there are still plenty of them left. She can see that they all love it. Tony’s eyes are twinkling when he sees the sweet treat. They are all quiet and savoring the sweetness in their mouth.
Jaclyn spoon-feeds Gibbs, and in return, she wants a sip of his milk coffee.
Abby is astonished. “Gibbs puts milk in his coffee?” she whispers to Tony.
“Yep!” he nods while he’s slurping his sticky marshmallow - too busy to make more comment since he is content and full.
It is nine in the evening when they finish and clear the table and the kitchen. They excuse themselves to go home when, all of a sudden, the sleep-induced miss nosy asks,” Can we all have the nice Thanksgiving celebration together since my Mommy and Daddy are not here, Jethro? Aunt Katie?” she asks pitifully.
“Kate, since your place is relatively small for all of us together,” he replies “we can have it in my house…”
Shouts of hoorays are heard from the kids, Abby, and Tony. Two more days until the holiday - life is great!
They all go home right away, except Gibbs. The kids make him stay to help them change into their pajamas, while Kate puts away her groceries and plans for tomorrow’s breakfast for the gang. Cereals would do, she decides, after days of unhealthy food.
Her boss is tucking her niece and nephew into bed. He totally spoils them. ‘Where is the discipline he instills with his agents?’ she thought.
All she hears is “OK” and “of course” from him.
It is almost ten, when he is out of her bedroom. The monkeys are asleep, and it’s all quiet now.
“Kate…” he calls her, and taps on her shoulder. She is doing their laundry.
“Thanks, Gibbs…really appreciate it,” she responds to him. Then, she feels him hugging her from behind, and she exhales. Things go through her mind – she doesn’t want to get hurt again; she is not foolish…
“Gibbs, please. Don’t…I don’t want to get hurt again, please…don’t do that,” she begs gently while prying his hand from her.
“Kate, I was a fool. Please, listen to me.” He tries to make her understand.
“Gibbs, we work together. You were right…it’s hard.” She is still prying his clenched hands on her.
“Kate, give me another chance. Before I was afraid, confused, and now…I know what I want and what I deserve. Please…I want you in my life,” he persists.
“Let me prove it to you Kate. Give me a chance to prove it to you.” As he turns her around, he sees her appearing broken.
Then, he kisses her passionately - hungry for affection, and she returns his kiss with the same urgency. They can hear their own breathing and heartbeats, along with their soft moans.
Out of the blue, they hear giggles and “EUWW…gross!” Joshua comments.
“It’s not gross, Joshua! It’s sweet!” she scolds her brother. They are peeking out from Kate’s room in their flannel PJs.
“Hmm…Gibbs?...asleep?” she asks him incredulously, and laughs at him.
“Next time, I’ll make sure…I’ll double check!” and he suddenly lunges at the kids, making them scream and run back to the bedroom.
Another half an hour to put them into bed again; Kate is all clean and comfortable in her nightshirt. She finds her boss asleep in between the kids, each on his side. Jaclyn is hugging Gibbs’ arm whilst sucking her thumb. Joshua’s tubby leg is on top of his thigh.
The three of them are sprawled peacefully on her bed.
She crawls carefully, trying not to wake them up, into her bed, and kisses his nose, and he is awoken. He wants to kiss her back, hug her, and do all kinds of things to her, but he can’t because the munchkins are asleep in between them.
Kate pulls him up and kisses him. “Goodnight, Gibbs. See you tomorrow,” she whispers in her kiss.
“Stay over with the kids tomorrow…at my place,” he asks.
“Gibbs, are you sure? These are unleashed monsters. They might destroy your house, your boat, and your bed, and then, mark their territories…trust me,” she says.
“No, they won’t, Kate,” he laughs and continues, “Although…Jaclyn is going to be worse than you…she got your gene,” he teases her.
“I’ll ask them tomorrow…” she replies.
“Let me asks them about it, OK?” He kisses her again, like there is no tomorrow.
Gibbs stumbles towards the door. “Goodnight, Kate,” and he goes home…walking in funny manner.
--------------------------------------------
Bullpen
Early morning, everything goes smooth, and Kate is doing better. They reach HQ before 8:30am, and are aided from bowls of cereal and cold milk.
It has become a ritual for them to have breakfast in the bullpen together ever since the babies are there.
“Aunt Kate, cereals? Why?” Joshua complains as he looks at the cereal boxes sadly.
”C’mon, guys. Once in a while…healthier food, Joshua? And, it’s the Coco Crunch…you love the Coco Crunch,” she answers the boy.
“Uuuuhhh…Coco Crunch…yum!” Tony snatches the box from Joshua and rips the box off, in order to…search for toys. Joshua laughs at Tony and joins him.
As soon as Gibbs arrives, of course with his cup of milk coffee, he joins the breakfast along with Abby and Ducky.
Jaclyn sets herself on Gibbs’s lap as usual. “I want to feed you, Jethro!”
Kate shakes her head and thinks, ‘God! They spoon feed each other their breakfast again.’
“Abby, look at them…” Ducky says to her.
---------------------------------------
It has been an easy day - mostly finishing up the paper work from yesterday. Their usually grumpy boss is now teaching Joshua how to salute properly, with his sister still perched on his lap.
Kate wonders, ‘do all kids find him so irresistible?’
Kate is about to finish her work, when suddenly “Aunt Katie! Aunt Katie…is it true? We’ll spend the night at Jethro’s house?” Jaclyn whispers to her excitedly as she grabs Kate’s arm.
“Only if you want to, Jaclyn.” She smiles at the girl.
“Yes, I want to! Do you know that he has a boat?” and she runs back to him. Then, it is Joshua’s turn, but before he asks, Kate already answers, “Yes! Joshua, if you want to…,” and the boy jumps up and down.
“Hey…what’s going on?” Tony asks as he picks Joshua up and places him on his shoulders.
“Thanksgiving at my place, Dinozzo. Be there early to help, Dinozzo, or you don’t get to eat!” Gibbs says.
“Yes, boss!” Tony salutes him.
Gibbs counts up – five adults plus two kids. He will prepare dinner for them. He has always loved to cook, but ever since he lives alone, he doesn’t even bother. He either eats at the HQ or has the Chinese take-outs at home.
He makes a quick call to Ducky.
Then, Kate hears:
“Can I come, Jethro?”
“Better not, sweetie. It’s going to be a surprise, OK?”
“Surprise? For me?”
“Yes, for you and your brother. So…you guys wait here with your aunt, OK? I’ll be back soon to pick you guys up.” He pats her head.
“Promise?” she asks him dotingly.
“I never break my promise,” he says.
Kate has enough of Jaclyn’s nagging behavior.
“C’mon, Jaclyn.” She walks to her and grabs her hand.
“No, I want to stay here!” She won’t budge from Gibbs’ seat.
“Jaclyn…no!” Kate pulls her harder.
“I want to sit in Jethro’s chair!” she whines. Her two and a half years old niece has gone insane.
“It’s OK, Kate,” Gibbs tells Kate. Kate glares at Jaclyn, but she dares not to look at her angry aunt.
“Jethro, she is mad at me,” she complains to her savior as she tugs at his pants.
“No, she is not mad,” Gibbs tells her.
“Oh…yes! She is mad.” Kate snaps and glares at her.
“Jaclyn, Gibbs is going away, and you are staying with me! Understood?” she explains to the anxious little girl. Jaclyn quickly hides behind his legs.
“Kate…” Gibbs calms her down, but it actually is making it worse.
“What, Gibbs?” She glares at him.
“Give me a few minutes with her, OK?” he asks her calmly - he has learned a lot the past couple of days.
Tony and Joshua are observing them intensely from behind Tony’s desk.
“Jaclyn is in so much trouble now, Uncle Tony,” Joshua whispers to Tony.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure…your aunt versus Boss…hard to say Joshua,” Tony whispers back at the boy. They hide their bodies behind the computer screen on the desk, yet beholding the scene.
“She’ll get the spanking of her life,” Joshua answers Tony.
“Ouch!” Tony winches.
Tony catches sight of the boss talking to the little girl in his cubicles. She nods and shakes her head a couple of times. In the intervening time, Kate is sitting in her chair and fuming mad.
Few minutes later, Gibbs holds her puny hand and tugs Jaclyn along to Kate.
“Oh…Jaclyn…you are in sooooo much trouble.” Tony can’t help himself, and is grinning at her, but he instantly shuts up when Gibbs and Kate glare at him in unison.
“Aunt Kate…I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. It won’t happen again,” and she looks at her aunt sadly.
At the corner of Kate’s eyes, she can see Gibbs is earnestly worried. He’s still holding her hand, and ready to pull her away if Kate grabs and spanks her.
“Ok! Jaclyn! No more funny business, you hear?! Or else…you’ll have to get the spanking of your life time, understood?!” she speaks to her sternly, and Jaclyn nods.
Tony now sees his boss kneeling to her level and whispering to her ear something, which seems to cheer her up at once, and she kisses his cheek. Tony wonders whether Gibbs asked her to kiss his cheek or she kissed him voluntarily. Gibbs definitely is popular among girls.
“He is spoiling her, Uncle Tony, just like Dad…” Joshua murmurs to him.
“C’mon, Jaclyn,” Kate calls her, and Jaclyn comes to her as Gibbs leaves to find Ducky.
“Play with Uncle Tony. You can ask him everything, and you can tease him as well,” Kate tells her with a grin on her face.
Jaclyn starts her attack:
”Where is your girlfriend, Uncle Tony?”
She continues, “How old is she?”
“Does she wear a skirt?”
“Is that why you chase skirts?”
She is standing in front of Tony’s table. ‘Oh dear,’ Tony thought. He meets his match, and she is worse than her aunt. Kate tries to wrap up her work.
------------------------------------------------------
“Hi, guys!” Abby jumps at them.
“Abby!!!” and they jump back at her. They treat Abby like she is in their age, besides they never called her “Aunt Abby” - she is way too cool for that.
“I’ll see you two monkeys at my lab for lunch, OK?” Abby carries Jaclyn and Joshua at the same time. “After cereals, we need something else…OK?” she whispers to them, and looks at them fondly. They nod in accord.
“What are we eating, Abby?” Joshua asks.
“It’s a surprise!” Abby replies.
“Thanks, Abby!” Kate looks at her Goth technician, thinking that one should never judge others by their looks
The kids remember their manners. “Thank you, Abby.” Joshua cups her face and kisses the tip of Abby’s nose.
“Yea, Abby, thank you!” Jaclyn pulls Abby’s face to her side and kisses both her cheeks. “Auwwww…you guys…” Abby feels like she is in heaven.
“Hey…what about me?” Tony is upset with the competition. They both laugh and shake their heads intensely with their mouth covered.
Tony, with a concentration span of five years old, decides to take the kids to the pantry and around the HQ. So, they follow him and take Tony’s hands at each side.
“Women love men with kids, Kate” He winks at her and says, “Proof read for me, Kate,” and as usual he dumps his report at her.
“Don’t lose them, Tony!” she warns him.
--------------------------------------------------
Her phone rings, and she answers, “Todd!”
“Hey guys, your monkeys just left with my friend.” She talks to her brother.
“They are fine. Don’t worry,” she says.
“OK…OK…why?” Kate asks.
Five minutes later, she hangs up. Her brother and his wife are back in Nashville, and they are hoping for Kate to take their kids over the holiday. Kate is very happy to have them, but she wonders about the impending divorce. It actually sounded bad - he told her that he’d see them in a few days.
-----------------------------------------------------
Supermarket
Ducky and Gibbs are at the supermarket. Gibbs seldom steps his foot in there, just once or twice a month. So, he takes Ducky to help him out.
He looks into his cart: a seasoned stuffed Turkey, Cranberry sauce, sugar, juices, potatoes, can foods and many more, the list goes on.
He supposes that they appear odd together in the supermarket - two old men doing grocery shopping with the cart loaded full with food… They also pass by the isle with bags of Chips and boxes and boxes of Cookies, and they just load some in. Before long, they finish doing their grocery shopping, and then, they head towards the Wall Mart.
-----------------------------------------------
Wall Mart
Gibbs goes straight to Children’s area. Ducky just follows him.
At the Toy’s section, Gibbs searches for some toys for the kids while Ducky is standing further away and letting him enjoy his time doing something he has never done before in his life.
He notices Gibbs smiling to himself quite often, and occasionally, ruffling his hair out of confusion.
Shortly after, he feels that he is being watched. He doesn’t have to turn around to see, but he knows that Ducky is watching him.
“Don’t say it, Ducky,” he warns his friend.
“I haven’t said anything…yet, Jethro.” He can sense that Jethro is feeling uncomfortable.
“Jethro, I think,” he tries to start.
“Ducky…” he warns him again.
“Jethro, I think you should move on with your life…and strive for what you want and what you deserve, Jethro…” Ducky continues, ignoring his warning.
“Ducky…” he warns him again.
“I am not finished yet, Jethro.” Ducky doesn’t care and goes on. Gibbs decides not to cut him off this time since he is slowly realizing that it’s way too important, for his own good in his future.
“You are a good man. You’ll make a good father and a husband,” Ducky tells him.
“You should…go for it, Jethro. Yeah…go for it!” He tries to convince the stubborn man, who is squatting in front of toys and searching.
Ducky is not prepared for Gibbs’ response.
“Yes, Ducky I know,” Gibbs replies.
“Oh…OK…OK, then.” He is shocked. He has actually managed to convince Jethro Gibbs…, but it’s very unlikely he thought.
”Let’s go, Ducky!” He straightens himself up and walks to the cash register. Ducky follows the man, still confused.
---------------------------------------------
Abby’s Lab
The lab doesn’t look like Lab anymore when Kate enters with Tony behind her, carrying both kids. Oh dear, she is surprised.
Abby is wearing a party head, and she hands more party heads for the kids and my God, she expects them to wear it too.
And what’s for lunch, Tony wonders? It’s TACO BELLS
I’m so sorry brother for I’ve ruin your kids’ taste bud, Kate said to herself.
They are having the time of their life, sitting on the floor, circling the food, sodas and juices.
“Burp…”
“EEUWWW…”
“Burp…burp…”
“Euww…euuww”
Kate is in the middle of circus’s freaks, eating her burritos.
Few minutes later Ducky and Gibbs enters the circle, “Nice…Taco Bells” and Gibbs gallops the food while Ducky sniffs it first then eat properly.
“Burp…burp”
“Euuww…”
“Tony…Joshua” Kate snaps at them
“Burp…”
“Gibbs!”
“Jethro!” Jaclyn screams. Then he comes near her and gives her a pat on her head, she is eating on Kate’s lap.
“Hi Katie” he touches her hair and she smiles at him. Jaclyn wants to sit with Jethro.
“No sweetie…waits till he finishes eating Ok” Kate said and Jaclyn nods.
“We finish our reports Gibbs, on your table” Tony informs his boss. Gibbs nods to him
“It’s a slow day…you guys can leave, It’s four days off including the weekend” he said while still chewing his food. Tony and Abby are holding hands, sitting very close, holding their breath.
“Keep you mobile on 24/7, in case…we are needed” still chewing his food, he is hungry.
And Abby and Tony jump, shout louder than ever “YIPEEE”
Joshua and Jaclyn are shocked. Ducky almost chokes on his nachos. Kate is laughing, Gibbs continues eating.
Ducky explains to stunned Joshua “They never have the permission to go home early Joshua…poor kids” Ducky said to him
“Really” Joshua asks
“I think Jethro is in a really good mood because you and Jaclyn are here” Ducky explains
So they quickly pack up and decided to be in Gibb’s house by five and starts dinner by seven and they left to the bullpen to clear their stuff.
---------------------------------------------
NCIS Parking lot
“C’mon” Gibbs carries Jaclyn and holds Joshua’s hand
‘We’ll go to your aunt’s place, get your stuff and go to my place” he said to them. Joshua hops all the way to the bullpen and then to the parking lot. A little embarrassing, or shall Kate say very humiliating incident happens in the parking lot. Trouble and problem wants to be with Gibbs. So they fight, who get to sit in the front seat.
“I said shot gun”
“So what?”
“I’m his favorite”
“No, you are not”
“Yes I am”
“No you are not”
‘I don’t care, I said shot gun” Joshua shouts at Jaclyn
“I am sitting in front” Jaclyn screams
“Jethro….” She wails at Gibbs, about to cry. Gibbs is confused, this time he doesn’t know what to do. Kate has a headache.
To make things worse, Director Morrow passes by.
“A little domestic problem? Agent Gibbs? Agent Todd?” He is looking at his senior agent field, his female agent and two kids squabbling.
“Oh no Sir” Kate replies hastily, she wants to spank them real hard.
“Nothing we can’t handle sir” Gibbs adds.
Morrow is in one of his mood, decides to rock the water.
“So, you guys are related to Special agent Gibbs right?” he bends down and asks the kids.
“Oh no sir, they are not…they are mine” Kate quickly replies the question; she feels guilty, she doesn’t Gibbs to be in trouble because of her kids.
‘We are related, Aunt Katie” Joshua decides to reminds his aunt.
‘What?” Kate is not getting it, looking at Joshua weird.
“We are related, you guys slept together” Joshua said impatiently, adults are so forgetful.
“Yeah…we are related” Jaclyn adds.
Gibbs grinned, Director Morrow is looking at Gibbs and Kate, she looks like she is about to faint. Kate has a migraine.
“Kids!!!” she hisses at them fiercely.
“Stop it now! Or kiss your thanksgiving goodbye! And I’ll swear to God, I’ll spank the both of you…stop it!” she hissed and the kids are quiet.
“Have a good holiday guys” Morrow left, grinning when his back is turned.
“Bye…Mr. Director” the kids reply politely.
-----------------------------------------
-Tbc-nova2007
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanksgiving dinner...something to be thankful about
Chapter End Notes:
Please enjoy and let me know what you think