Over the next few days AJ consulted with Kate, Ziva, Abby and I on how to decorate their baby’s nursery. Now everyone but AJ and Palmer knew of a gift that they would be getting for the baby. Since we had learned of Baby Palmer’s impending arrival along with the impending arrival of Kelly and her fiancé’s, Jason Beckett’s little one; Baby Beckett as we had referred to the little one, there was a bit of secrecy that the expectant parents didn’t get. After learning that he was going to be an Uncle again as well as a grandfather, Jethro took to his basement and his hand tools once again. This time he wasn’t building a boat in the space that he had.
Instead he was building two cribs; one for his future granddaughter or future grandson and one for his future niece or nephew. We all knew Jethro had a soft side especially when it came to kids. Jen had seen his soft side countless times before. Now we all saw it whenever Kelly was around or when our respective children were nearby. Hell we all saw his soft side when Jen was at his side or when he affectionately kissed Abby on her cheek like all fathers do with their daughters.
It was lunch time and Tony insisted on debating with McGee about which one of them was going to pay for lunch for the team. Jethro as usual had escaped by going to get coffee for himself and Jen. So that left Kate, Ziva and I to deal with Tony acting like a child. I had noticed Jen going into MTAC just as Nick came over to the squad room. Nick kissed me on the head before I got up to join Jen in MTAC. Once I was at the top of the stairs, Jethro returned from his coffee run.
“DiNozzo, shut it. Where is Jaylyn going?” Jethro asked.
“My guess is MTAC, boss just like the Director.” Tony said.
Jethro looked up to MTAC and figured that no good could have come from the two of us being in MTAC.
“Cue up the picture, please.” Jen instructed the MTAC techs once I had taken the seat next to her.
“What picture?” I asked.
“You’ll see.” Jen answered as she handed me the file that contained the final case report on our father’s murder.
“A picture of dad.” I said as I noticed the picture on the screen in front of us.
“Just read the report, Jay.”
As I read the report, Jethro and Nick came into MTAC. Neither Jen nor I knew that our significant others were in the room with us at first so our little conversation continued on as normal.
“So Jeanne successfully completed her vendetta, we’re officially orphans.”
“Jay, we’ve been orphans since the day mom died; Jeanne killing dad was just the final body blow that was dealt to us.”
“Either way, body blow or cheap shot; Jeanne still managed to murder dad, we are orphans at 41 and 61.” I said.
At that point Jethro and Nick came to us. Jethro set the coffee he had gotten Jen in the cup holder that sat in the armrest in-between her and me. They could see the tears starting to swell in our eyes. Nick started to hug me but Jethro knew better, so he restrained Nick from hugging me. Jethro knew what Jen and I need to do. Just Jethro had twenty-one years prior when Jen had a picture of René Benoit on the screen during Jethro’s case that involved Ares being auctioned off; he and Nick let us be. Jen and I rose from our chairs just as Jen had all those years ago and we walked towards the screen until we were a few steps away.
That moment was when NCIS’ retiring Director and her successor became human, when all the invincibility we had attained throughout our respective careers came crumbling down as we looked at the picture of our father before us; it was the moment we let our tears flow freely from our eyes. Jethro dismissed the MTAC techs knowing that the last thing Jen and I wanted was to seen as women who didn’t belong in a man’s world when we were as vulnerable as we were. Once the techs were out the room, Jethro and Nick came to us once again. This time Jethro embraced Jen as Nick embraced me, our significant others were there to comfort us when we needed them to. Both Jethro and Nick were glad to see that we were finally showing some emotions when it came to losing our father since we had been bottling our emotions up.
Once Jethro had his arms wrapped around Jen, he cradled her head and let her cry her eyes out just as Nick did the same with me. Jethro hated seeing those emerald eyes stricken with tears just as much as Nick hated seeing the brown eyes he loved for nearly two decades, being overran with tears. But both knew that this was necessary so they let us drench their shirts with our tears without saying a word. After standing in MTAC for twenty minutes Nick thought that it would be best if he had brought me home for awhile.
When we got home the girls were in their respective rooms doing their homework. Just as he had before; Nick took me into his arms, started dancing and began to whisper something in my ear.
“Hang up that red dress, let down your hair, cancel those reservations don’t need to go nowhere.” Nick sang into my ear.
“How did you know?” I asked.
“As good as you’re looking right now, girl bet you're thinkin I’m crazy, there’s a side of you that I wanna see that never ceases to amaze me.” Nick said as danced across our dining room.
“I should start calling you miracle worker.”
“Gimme that girl with the hair in a mess, sleepy little smile with her head on my chest, that’s the you that I like best, gimme that girl.”
At that point I re-lifted my head from Nick’s chest and looked at him adoringly.
“Gimme that girl lovin up on me, old t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that’s the you I wanna see, gimme that girl, gimme that girl. Gimme that girl that’s beautiful, without a trace of makeup of on, barefoot in the kitchen, singing her favorite song. Dancing around like a fool, starring in her own little show, gimme that girl the rest of the world, ain’t lucky enough to know. Gimme that girl with the hair in a mess, sleepy little smile with her head on my chest, that’s the you that I like best, gimme that girl. Gimme that girl lovin up on me, old t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that’s the you I wanna see, gimme that girl, gimme that girl.” Nick finished as we came to a stop.
“Thanks for cheering me up with the song we first danced to in this house.”
“I’d do anything to see that smile on that gorgeous face of yours, my love.”
A few minutes later JD came in.
“Okay, I would say; get a room but seeing how if you guys do I may end up with two more siblings like the last time, I’m not gonna say anything.”
“Jennifer, what have I told you?” I asked.
“That you can match me wit for wit just like you can match Aunt Jen, Uncle Jethro and all my other relatives wit for wit; so I shouldn’t even bother.”
“Good, so what did you come into tell your father and I?”
“I just got off the phone with Leah and she said that Uncle Jethro is letting Uncle Tony throw family movie party in MTAC at 7pm; and we’re all invited. Aunt Kate and Uncle Drew are bringing their kids, Hannah and Leah will be there with their parents obviously, Aunt Abby and Uncle Tim will have Addie and Jake with them, Uncle Jimmy and Aunt AJ will be there obviously with baby in tow, Uncle Jethro and Aunt Jen will be there, even Kelly and her fiancé Jason will be there with baby in tow, Uncle Ducky and Aunt Jordan too. Leah said something about Uncle Jethro, Aunt Jen and Kelly bringing four surprise guests with them.” JD replied.
I looked at Nick knowing full well that he knew as well as I did who the four surprise guests were.
“I’m guessing Jackson, Franks, Leyla and Amira are the four guests that are coming.” I said.
“Probably.” Nick said.
“Delaney, hun; go call Leah back and tell her to tell Tony that we’ll all be there for family movie night in MTAC.” I instructed.
“Will do mom and please stop switching between my names before I get confused.”
I nodded and JD went into her room to call Leah.
“It will be nice to see Leyla and Amira.” Nick said.
“Yeah it will be, Emira just turned twenty-one I believe so it will be nice to see her as an adult instead of that gangly kid she was.” I said.
With that Nick and I each took one of our twins and helped them get ready for the family movie night we were going to. Knowing Tony the movie was going to be a classic, the only thing I didn’t know was how Tony figured how he was gonna fit thirty-four people in MTAC for the little tradition he was insisting on starting. I knew Jethro and Jen would put their two cents as far as the sitting arrangements went.
When we got to MTAC we found out who the surprise guests were. Just as I had predicted our surprise guests were Jackson, Franks, Leyla and Amira.
“Do my eyes deceive me or is that Jaylyn Shepard standing before me?” Franks said in what we all called his cowboy voice.
“Its good to see you Mike and you know that it’s Shepard-Balboa now.”
“Either way, you’re just as gorgeous as you were at twenty-five.” Franks said.
“That was years ago and three kids ago, Mike.”
“Well you, Ziva, Abby and Kate still have the bodies ya had back then.”
“Okay before this conversation veers off into an uncomfortable discussion, roll the tape; DiNozzo.” Jethro instructed.
“I second that.” Nick said from behind me as he placed a protective she’s mine hand on my shoulder.
Franks then turned his attention JD, Jayden and Jocelyn.
“You three are the spitting image of your mother.” Franks said to mine and Nick’s girls.
After that Tony went to put his DVD copy of A Miracle on 34thStreet into the control panel. It was very fitting for all us to be watching this classic Christmas movie. The snow was starting to fall outside and Christmas was just days away. Abby would remind us everyday that Christmas was coming up. Those of us that were mothers knew how important this Christmas was for her, it was Addie and Jake’s first Christmas as well as Abby and McGee’s first Christmas as parents.
While we took our seats the four oldest kids sat in the front four seats as the other six took to the floor. Addie and Jake weren’t quite sitting up on their own very well yet so Jayden sat behind Addie as Jocelyn sat with Jake. So the rest of us took to the remaining chairs that Hannah, Leah, JD and Benjamin weren’t occupying. Jethro and Franks let Jen go before them.
Jethro cautiously and protectively watched Franks as Franks watched Jen walk up the steps to the back row of seats.
“Hoorah, Gunny.” Franks said just as he had twenty-two years ago.
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