Chapter 2 Celebration and Tragedy
Bash
When Ducky and Gibbs decide to have a BBQ during the weekend, Kate just nods, since she is not supposed to be involved in the preparation.
Her husband has gone mental again! This time Ducky is there to support him. The doting ME and Gibbs plan and execute the mission “BBQ on the weekend” of course with the help of the usual three stooges, while she is stuck with Robert in the house, playing hide and seek.
The busy adults can’t afford to have the tiny disruptive force around. Robert is not a baby who can be placed in his box anymore…oh no!!! Not anymore, now he walks around… and he has a mind of his own, not a baby anymore. Abby says he is like a “beagle” following its nose…Robert follows his eyes and nose too.
The boy loves dogs, all kind of dogs: from the huge Rotweillers to tiny Chihuahuas not to forget stray dogs and cats; he would stick his face against the pet’s shop window and refused to budge until he is satisfied and made his mom or dad promise to get him a dog when he is fifty…yeah…no kidding “five –zero”, he has no concept of age yet! He must have thought that he’ll get a dog when he is five, since he is “two” now.
Kate freaked when he dashes over to O’Brien’s old 80 pounds Rotweiller, he runs excitedly to the black beautiful dog and screams “doggie!!!” at the top of his lungs; he hugs, kisses and strokes the dog’s fur. Gibbs and O’Brien said to Kate that it’s OK! But none of them left his side…
It takes Gibbs and Kate about half an hour to convince Robert to go home…all they hear all the way from O’Brien’s house to theirs are, “Bobby wants doggie…please…Bobby wants doggie” over and over again until Kate glares at him.
That evening, Robert pants like a dog and crawls on his hands and feet, he even barked - like “doggie” he said and to make it worse, cool aunt Abby joins in the fun, with her gothic dog collar, all Ducky manages to say is “Oh my dear God”
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Just last week:
Kate found her ME is a very distressing condition, back from a trip to the supermarket with Robert. Ducky was pale. He came in and asked for a glass of water.
Gibbs was surprised, but instead of his usual interrogation, he gave the ME the requested glass of water and they watched him gulp the entire content down his throat within seconds.
After a few minutes, Ducky spoke.” I lost Robert for a while. God, I was so scared. He was right beside me, I was holding his hand and I lost him…” Ducky stops talking for a second to breathe.
Kate was so sorry for the old man she felt like spanking her son, who was oblivious to everything, taking his own sweet time drinking his juice from his sippy cup on Ducky’s lap. Ducky went on. "I have never felt that scared in my life before. I was just picking up a box of cereal; the next thing I know, the boy is GONE!!!
I searched high and low, I even went to the parking lot and the storage areas…” Ducky exhaled anxiously…“I found him at the end counter, by the cash register; he made the sweet cashier lady open and closes the cash register! The lady said he loved the sound” Ducky finally explained to the parents.
Kate glared at Robert and the boy just grinned at her. Gibbs raised his brows, not knowing how to react. But of course, Ducky said it was not Robert’s fault, he is so young, he just is curious about everything, and that he is too young to understand.
Kate doesn’t think that Robert is too young to understand, she makes a note at the back of her mind, to discipline Robert when Ducky and her husband are not around.
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Last night Robert tried to help his dad set up table for today’s BBQ, but he was more of a hindrance than a help. The boy wanted to play with his dad, he managed to knock his head to the wooden table and bawled loudly in pain and last night he slept with a green bump on his temple and his father didn’t manage to set up anything for the BBQ.
So, because of the “beautiful new” bump on his head, Robert slept in parents’ room.
See, the two year old has a room of his own, next to his mom and dad’s; by the time he was a mere one and a half years old and able to walk, he wanted his own room, he called it his “basement”, with no boat of course, but filled with his gun and rifle collection.
His daddy built a wooden cupboard for him to store his toys along with his medium sized bed. Gibbs transformed the nursery into a cool two year old’s sanctuary, all hand made by him. He christened the room by “breaking the lock” on the door!!!
Kate laughed her head off. Robert couldn’t understand when his dad said to him that he’ll get a lock to his door when he is 17, the innocent boy just nodded excitedly, agreeing to everything his dad wants. Kate hoped he was joking, but her husband never jokes! Poor Robert, she thought.
But Robert sleeps with his parents whenever he acquires new bumps, or when he is sick which he seldom is, then he would latch on to his mom or dad and forget about “his basement” for a while, tucked in safely and warm on the huge bed between his angels.
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BBQ
Gibbs must have told “the three stooges” to arrive early.
The BBQ is supposed to start past noon, but McGee, James and Tony arrive before nine in the morning. After they have a quick breakfast together, the day is started with music and beer, while Robert is still sleeping amongst pillows on his parents’ bed.
Kate is bound to the kitchen, the men refused to let her help, but soon Abby arrives and they have a great time. Kate love Abby’s jokes and crazy ideas.
Soon, Ducky and Mrs. Adams arrive. Abby looks at them with her questioning wicked eyes, arching her eyebrows, only to receive a head slap from Gibbs, “Hey, I didn’t say anything!” she complains. ”I didn’t say anything either, Abby” he gives his wife a kiss and walks back to the backyard.
He looks damn hot in his old shirt and BDU pants, Kate thought.
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It is almost ten in the morning.
Robert is surprised when he is awake from his slumber. He hears noise from downstairs. He quickly slips down from the bed and walks out in his PJs, only to be stopped by a door, like a barrier that blocks the stairways. His dad built it when he learned how to crawl.
Gibbs can hear his little voice calling him; "Daddy…mommy…Bobby want go down…mommy…daddy…Bobby awake!!!...please…” as he rattles the wooden barriers with both hands.
His dad smiles to himself, walks up and frees him. His bump is now dark green!
The boy is pleased when he sees lots of people, he claps his hands as he exclaims “Bobby house FULL of people…” and he waddles through the activity, flashing his smiles to his admires, calling everybody’s name.
Man! The attention he gets with his new bump on his head…the boy said that he didn’t cry and it doesn’t hurt, but when his Ducky asks, he said that it hurts! And he got it because he was helping his dad in his backyard!
Kate is in the kitchen, preparing some of the cold meals and she is listening to his lies.
“Yeah right! Help???” she couldn’t believe it.
“He told me that it doesn’t hurt one bit!” Abby whispers to Kate
“But he told Ducky a different story” McGee passes by the kitchen and comments.
Kate decides to approach the naughty boy and sees him in Ducky’s lap with a pack of not-very-small M&M’s and she quickly grabs it from his tiny clutches. "Robert…NO, please!”, Ducky just keeps quiet, being caught red handed and Robert pouts unhappily at his mom but he dares not say anything.
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Then the old man takes him by the hand to the backyard to “help”. After a while he forgets about his M&M’s and enjoys the merriment, he walks back and forth between his backyard and kitchen, he helps by opening the back door for the people going back and forth.
Tony calls him the “chubby doorstopper”
After awhile Robert gets bored and he starts showing off his counting skills; Gibbs can hear his voice from the back of the house.
Robert counts, “One, two, three, four, five, and six…” and so on…then in Spanish and German.
Robert receives another batch of sweet which he quickly slips into his PJs pocket; the boy runs free in his house, the guys adores him and they can not wait for the 2nd mini Gibbs.
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O’Brien arrives with his wife and his grandson, a two and half year old boy named Billy. For the first time in Robert’s life, he has a friend his size and age. He takes Billy by the hand and shows the boy his house: down to the basement, shows his dad’s boat and his “personal basement/room” to his new friend. O’Brien assigns James to be the glorified sitter and the three of them have a great time.
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The BBQ starts around one at noon. It is a beautiful Sunday…the wind is cool and the weather is warm: perfect for the outdoor gathering. Buckets and ice boxes filled with meat, sausages, beers, wine, juice and cold milk are placed on the side table; the picnic table is set in the middle of the spacious backyard. Gibbs passes the BBQ thongs to Dinozzo, and he spends his time sticking by his Katie.
By the time they start eating, there are more than two dozen people and two kids. Balboa, Patchi and Roland and some other people stayed for an hour or so and then they left.
However there is a guest that left all of them stunned! It is the FBI’s Fornell; but after O’Brien, Gibbs and the lady of the house greets him warmly (for NCIS standards) the rest of the guys warm up to him and by the time they tuck into the food, the awkwardness is gone.
Robert and Billy refused to sit with the adult, they exchanged the worn-out James with McGee, still chewing his food, but he goes along. Chasing the kids, running around, circling the table all over the backyard, teasing Tony who is still stuck at the grill, rolling around on the grass, playing hide and seek, planes and with the water hose until Gibbs walks up to them and said “No” sternly and asks his son to put where it belongs.
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An hour later:
Robert and Billy come running towards Kate at the head of the table willingly because they are hungry. “Mommy…Bobby hungry, Bobby wants to eat…and Billy too…” huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath, he doesn’t forget his dearest new friend.
Kate gives each of them a fork with a sausage. They each grab the fork and when they are about to run with their food; Gibbs catches them in time and makes them sit on the table among the adults. McGee can finally digest his food in peace.
They both eat quietly and they want more, so Kate gives them each a plate of sausage, egg and potato salad with a slice of bread. “Euwww…” Billy looks at the salad unhappily, covering his mouth with his stubby fingers.
“Don’t you like salad Billy? Robert loves salad…see…” Kate asks him as she points to her son who is eating his food with gusto, grinning at them with his full mouth, so Billy unwillingly eats his salad because he doesn’t want to lose to his new friend.
Robert eats by himself even though he spills on his face, clothes and table…sometimes the floor too. His dad lets him have fun with his food; occasionally helping him cut his food into manageable pieces.
At the other end of the table, his dad is in deep conversation with Fornell and the boy doesn’t want to disturb, so he just picks up his sausage and eats it with his hand. “Yummy” he says to himself…and drinks his milk.
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Out of the blue:
“Daddy…Billy stay with Bobby?” he tugs Gibbs’s arm. He looks at the boy, “I don’t think so Robert, Billy has his mom and dad too, just like you, he can’t stay with us…” he explains to him…
For a moment he just looks at his dad still chewing his food, perhaps he asked the wrong person, Billy belongs to “Obi”; Robert turns his body, looking at O’Brien the sweet giant, “OBI…Billy stay with Bobby???” he asks expectantly.
O’Brien and his wife laugh, looking at Gibbs and Kate, “You haven’t told the boy?”
“Actually, no…Kate?” Gibbs asks his wife, but she just smiles at him and says, “I carry the baby for nine months, why don’t you tell Robert…your turn…Jethro”
And Gibbs thought how hard can it be?
“Robert, you are going to have a brother or a sister…” he looks at the boy
”NO” Robert replies quickly, none too pleased with the news.
“No?” Gibbs is shocked.
“NO!” Robert insists, repeating himself.
Abby and Kate try really hard to hide their laughter. Gibbs gives it another go.
“Do you understand brother or sister, Robert?” he looks at the boy who is still eating.
“NO, daddy, NO! Bobby wants doggie!” he said point blank, no negotiation, he doesn’t need a brother or sister, a dog would do just fine or better!
Gibbs frowns in confusion, but he doesn’t give up easily.
“Robert, we are going to have another baby, would you like a baby?” Gibbs gives it another try, how hard can it be explaining to a two year old. Robert nods like a fifty year old man. “Yes” he says seriously.
Thank God, Gibbs thought “OK, then we are going have a baby boy or girl and you are…” wrong sentence! Robert is very unhappy; he quickly replies
“No daddy! No no, no girl, Bobby wants boy!” if he can’t have a dog, another boy would do.
“But Robert…we can’t choose and it…!” Gibbs is looking at Robert’s frown, blazing blue eyes, just like his!
“NO! Daddy NO! Please!” he scowls angrily at his daft dad, arguing his case.
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Tony who is now sitting on with the guys, just gapes at the scene: Gibbs senior versus Gibbs Junior; Ducky just smiles at them, O’Brien and Fornell are stunned! Finally, Gibbs has a problem convincing someone to agree with him.
“Kate…” he asks for her support.”Don’t worry about it, Jethro, he can’t understand the concept of sibling, perhaps later when he sees my growing belly, me turning into a penguin, he’ll understand” she teases him with a grin.
Robert has already moved past the boy or girl problem, after he is finished with his meal, he tugs Billy’s elbow, “Come on” and they are about to run away from the table, to play, already eying Abby to accompany them.
Kate manages to grab him by his elbow, it’s his nap time. “NO mommy…no, no, no, mommy, no sleep! Please…please no” the two year old begs desperately
“Bobby!” Kate warns him for his whining
”no sleep please mommy" looking at his dad for help.
“OK, Bobby, but no running, no jumping, you are going to bed early tonight, no arguments, OK???” she asks him as he pulls away from her.
“OK mommy YES” he takes the offer and quickly left with Billy, running inside the house with their toys, screaming in joy, forgetting Abby.
“Gibbs, I think Joshua is rubbing off on Robert, pretty soon he’ll be able to say ‘girls have cooties’” Abby laughs.
“Very funny Abby” Kate says to the Goth.
“Yeah, true, we have to make Joshua stop saying his slogan." Gibbs agrees with Abby. Gibbs never dream he could have his own set of Trouble and Problem, but pretty soon, they’ll have another kid; he couldn’t be happier.
Not that they ever thought of protection…hell no! Once after they had Robert, Kate asked him about “protection”. He gave her the look. “Protection against what Katie?” he teased her; “Robert sleeping with us is our protection”
No wonder Kate is pregnant again.
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Fornell comments on the Gibbs boy. “Your son is very smart, but he has got your antics Gibbs," a polite way of saying that Robert has his temperament.
Then Tony laughs…”Do you remember when he was pissed off because we wouldn’t let him…hey…where is he? Where are the tots?’ Tony looks around for Robert and Billy…no noise from the kids, they are out of sight.
“Inside, probably showing off ‘his boat’ to Billy” Kate saw them dashing inside the house. The overly protective father stands up right away. “I think they are probably in the basement” as he walks across the yard towards the door leading to the kitchen.
When he is out of sight; Kate whispers to James, who is still tired from tagging along with the kids, they drained his energy more than chasing suspects on the run; “If it wasn’t illegal, he’d plant a chip in his son, so that he could track him.” James just nods with his mouth still full of steak…his boss is overtly protective.
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The crash
When they are all relaxed and full the guys decide to move the gathering inside the house.
It is much cooler inside, Tony and James are still hogging the beer, while Fornell is getting ready to go back to his HQ, he just received a call from his boss, when out of nowhere, they hear a shrill sound of a car screeching from the front of the house.
Kate’s heart stops beating for a second before she screams her son’s name and dashes to her house. Ducky and O’Brien freezes and everybody stops in fear and shock as they hear the horrifying noise. All of them make a mad scramble to the front, Dinozzo, Fornell and James sprint through the side door, while the rest follow Kate’s path through the house.
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A few minutes before:
As Gibbs enters his house, it’s all quiet, too quiet. “Robert, Billy” he calls for them. No answer. He strides to the basement…nothing, he only sees the evidence of the boys’ presence, their toys are scattered on the floor near the boat’s skeleton.
He knows Robert loves to play hide and seek or tag, but for some reason he is worried, something is not right, his gut is churning with alarm.
”BILLY……ROBERT JETHRO GIBBS, I said come out right now!” he bellows…nothing…eerily quiet…something is wrong…. His son knows he is not joking when he calls his full name…he knows it! He is not there…Where the hell are they? Gibbs quickly climbs up from his basement…to his living room.
“GOD” he whispers to himself as he sees the front door of his house is ajar, he doesn’t lock the door when they have guests coming.
He runs outside only to find Robert and Billy by the perimeter of the front lot playing with their planes and guns…DAMN IT! On the outside! They are running in circles, all over the lot and street.
He wants to bellow Robert’s name, but nothing comes out, his eyes go blurry on him. His baby is on the street, oblivious to danger; Billy is now standing at the edge of his lot, lost in thought, busy fixing his plane toy, oblivious to his surroundings.
Robert sees his dad exit his house. His eyes enlarged happily.
His dad is a lot of fun. “Daddy…come here…” he jumps and waves to his dad, beckoning him; and when he sees his dad sprint towards him, Robert runs further: into the street, because he thought his dad was going to play tag with him.
The boy doesn’t notice the speeding car ahead.
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-Tbc-nova2007- Special thanks to my BETA (MV) for putting up with my bad English!
Please review, let me know what you think…Thanks!!!
Author's Chapter Notes:
The title says it all, they are about to lose their bundle of joy
Chapter End Notes:
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