A Very MCRT Christmas
Christmas 2017: Gibbs, the DiNozzo family, and the McGee family celebrate the holidays with the extended NCIS family of the heart.
Tobias Fornell had to look twice at the partition behind Gibbs' desk. Prominently displayed was a picture of Gibbs with the McGee family and the DiNozzo family, a true "Christmas card shot." Jethro was even SMILING in the picture! Amazing how four little children, three of them under a year old, had transformed his friend of many years.
Gibbs doted on three and one half year old Tali and six month old Anthony. He often babysat for Tony and Ziva when they took a date night. Tali loved spending time with her Grandpa Gibbs. Although the McGee twins were not quite a month old, Tobias could tell that Gibbs would be doting on them as well.
"Tobias, what brings you here?" Gibbs startled his friend from his musings.
"Admiring your Christmas card photo; hard to believe your boys are fathers now. DiNozzo especially; never figured him as the father type."
Gibbs smiled, "Tali and Anthony, and Ziva, especially Ziva, changed all that. Amazing how opening your heart can change a person."
Tobias grinned at his friend, "Speaking from experience?"
"Speaking of families, why don't you and Emily come over to my house for Christmas dinner? Abby is coordinating the food, so check with her about what to bring. The whole family is going to be there." Gibbs had told his team at their Thanksgiving dinner at Ducky's condo that he would host Christmas for the family this year and for the foreseeable future.
~MERRY CHRISTMAS~
The DiNozzo family was the first to arrive at Gibbs' house at 1100 on Christmas morning. After handing Anthony to Gibbs, Ziva and Tony carried in pans of lasagna, two cakes and several large tins of homemade Christmas cookies. Tali "helped" by taking her brother's diaper bag inside for her Ima. Gibbs had made a roast beef for the family dinner, along with an apple pie.
They had just finished putting the food in the kitchen when the McGees arrived. Tony went out to help Tim carry in the vegetables that they brought, and to help get the twins' stuff inside. Ziva took a twin in each arm so that Delilah could maneuver her wheelchair up the ramp Gibbs had built for her.
The Palmers and Ducky were next to arrive with mashed potatoes, ice cream and salad. Ducky also brought apple cider. Abby bounced in with her trays of appetizers and finger foods. Clayton, Ellie and Nick came in one vehicle, carrying in more food and beverages. Nick had picked up two gallons of egg nog.
Gibbs set up the play area for the three babies, and Tali and Tori played with the large box of wooden blocks that Gibbs had made for them to play with at his house. As each family or person arrived, more gifts went under the tree that Abby had set up two days before. A new large screen TV hung on the wall in the living room, a gift from the DiNozzos and McGees so that Gibbs had a modern set for the family tradition of watching "It's a Wonderful Life," and for when the grandkids were visiting. Tim and Tony set up the TV and DVD player the day before.
Tobias and Emily Fornell brought dinner rolls, and bread. (Abby had figured that they couldn't mess up with store bought breads!) Last to arrive were Leon, Kayla, and Jared Vance. They brought a vegetable soup that had been a tradition with their family since Kayla was a toddler. It had been a recipe handed down from Jackie's grandmother.
Ziva, Abby and Breena took over the kitchen and getting the food out for serving while Tony, Jimmy and Ducky set the table for the family, and got Anthony's high chair set up. Jimmy put out the booster seats for Tali and Tori. Delilah fed the twins, hoping they would sleep through dinner.
Tim enlisted Nick and Clayton to help him set up the video cameras in the dining room and living room. He also had Ellie using a portable video camcorder in the kitchen while trying to stay out of the way of the food preparations.
Kayla and Emily chatted, as Jared played with Tali and Tori and kept them occupied and out of the way of the adults during dinner preparations. Tobias remarked to Gibbs that his team did a pretty good job of coordinating the meal and set up. Gibbs smiled, "Of course they did. They're MY team, or were my team!" Anthony squirmed in Gibbs' lap, so he shifted the little boy to the floor at his feet, keeping an eye on him as he played with his soft books.
"Dinner is ready," Tony announced to all. "Come into the dining room!"
"Yeah, before Tony eats all the food!" Tim joked to Jimmy, and the family laughed. Gibbs took his place at the head of the table, and Ducky sat at the other end. The family joined hands around the table as Ducky offered a generic blessing for the food and family. He looked around at the twenty people sitting at the table (the McGee twins were asleep in the living room) and remarked on how they had all come together to make a family. Anthony chose that moment to bang his hand on the tray of his high chair as if to say "let's eat already" and generated several laughs, especially when Ziva noted that Anthony got his appetite from his Abba!
After the meal, Kayla and Emily took Tali and Tori out in Gibbs' backyard to run off some energy and to play on the swing set that Grandpa Gibbs had built for them. Jared, Leon, Clayton and Nick helped clear the table and load the dishwasher while Gibbs, Tobias, and Tony put leftover food away. Ziva took Anthony upstairs to clean him up and change his diaper and clothes, hoping he would take a nap. Delilah checked on the twins, and fed a hungry John, while Tim burped Katie. Jimmy and Breena set up the desserts on the side table and started coffee brewing. Abby and Ellie set out dessert plates, cups and utensils. Ducky made two pots of tea, one Earl Grey and one orange pekoe.
Tim had taken the twins upstairs to nap. Ziva came downstairs as the others were gathering in the dining room to have dessert. Anthony had finally settled down and fallen asleep as Ziva rocked him. She placed him in the crib and partially closed the door, remembering to turn on the baby monitor that connected to Tony's and her phones via Bluetooth. Tim had found the monitors online and ordered them for each family plus for Gibbs' house.
Tali looked at her Abba, "When are we opening presents, Abba?" She had been ready since she first spotted the brightly wrapped gifts under the tree.
"When Anthony and John and Katie wake up from their naps." Tony picked up his daughter. "Let's get some cookies for dessert while we wait!" Tali pointed to the cookies she wanted so that Tony could put them on a plate for her. Ziva refilled both little girls' sippy cups with juice and set them on the table. Much to Breena's chagrin, Jimmy had put a slice of chocolate layer cake on Tori's plate and set her down with it, forgetting to put on her bib.
~MERRY CHRISTMAS~
As the family moved into the living room, one of the twins let out a wail. Tim headed up the stairs with Tony close behind, figuring if one was now awake, then all three babies would soon be stirring. The two men came down with the little ones, and Abby snapped several pictures. Gibbs looked at his two boys, and smiled to himself. Both Tony and Tim were beaming, looking every bit the Abba and Daddy parts.
After the twins were fed and Anthony was changed, presents were opened. Tali and Tori opened their gifts from the family, both immediately cuddling their baby dolls from Grandducky and putting them into the doll cradles that Grandpa Gibbs had made for them. The girls helped tear the paper for the littler ones' gifts as well. Abby was on the floor with them, having as much fun tearing paper as the little girls. Tim made sure to capture it all on video.
The adults and older kids exchanged gifts and then helped clean up the paper, ribbon and discarded boxes when the all gifts were opened. Each family settled into a spot in the living room, and Tony put the DVD into the player. He started the movie and moved next to Ziva on the loveseat, taking Tali into his lap and putting an arm around his wife. Anthony was in Ziva's lap, not quite asleep, chewing on one of his new soft books.
Ducky and Gibbs were in the two arm chairs, Tim and Delilah on one end of the sofa, each holding a sleeping baby, and Jimmy and Breena on the other end with Tori in Jimmy's lap. Leon, Tobias, and Abby had brought in chairs from the dining room. Nick, Clayton, Ellie, Jared, Kayla and Emily were sitting on blankets and cushions on the floor. Gibbs looked around the room at his family of the heart.
"How did we get so lucky, Duck?"
"Merry Christmas, Jethro. We are blessed to have each of them in our family."